


Always Find You

by ironicbird



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Reincarnation, But mostly angst, Fluff and Angst, Historical References, M/M, Past Lives, Reincarnation, The major character death is just so that they can reincarnate, possible historically appropriate homophobia, references to shinto, reincarnated lovers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-14
Updated: 2017-02-06
Packaged: 2018-09-08 12:38:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 6
Words: 27,676
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8845426
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ironicbird/pseuds/ironicbird
Summary: Yuuri doesn't remember their past lives, but Viktor does. He remembers all six of them. They have been everything from soldiers to scientists to figure skaters. They always manage to find each other one way or another, but no matter how hard they try, they never seem to get their happy ending. Could this one finally be it?





	1. 1904, the Russo-Japanese War

**Author's Note:**

> This is a Reincarnation AU based a lot off of Hawkgirl and Hawkman from DC comics. Every time they die, they reincarnate and have to find each other again. In this version though, there's no one person in particular really trying to kill them and only Viktor remembers their past lives at first. I am doing all of my historical research but just a warning, it might not be 100% accurate. I also don't have a whole lot of history to work with, since Russia and Japan don't interact a whole lot but eh I make it work. I hope you guys enjoy this, I don't typically write a lot of fanfiction.

Viktor couldn’t believe that he had finally met him in this life, and it was not nearly as dramatic as he might have hoped. Rather than some glorious first encounter with angels singing choruses in the background and birds flying overhead, he instead had a drunken Japanese man desperately clinging to his torso. They had met in some pretty strange scenarios in the past, but none had ever been remotely like this.

Yuuri was speaking some slurred Japanese that Viktor couldn’t catch while grinding on him. His entire appearance was tired and disheveled from a combination of all of the dancing and the alcohol. Everyone in the room was staring at the awkward scene unfolding between the two of them. Yuuri was making a right fool of himself, and by association Viktor as well.

“Be my coach, Viktor!” Yuuri looked up to him with doe-like eyes. They were the same eyes Viktor had seen countless times in their past lives, and he felt himself falling head over heels in love for the seventh time. It was inescapable. He didn’t fully understand it but he was always destined to fall for the same boy, over and over again. Of course Yuuri didn’t remember a thing about their past selves. If was anything like the last times, he wouldn’t remember unless they kissed. Viktor, however, always knew. He always remembered their past lives, even if Yuuri didn’t. His goal in every life was to find Yuuri and make him remember, and then hopefully one day they would live happily ever after. Six lives, and it hadn’t worked yet. Something had always happened to end it all. Last time, Viktor had died of illness in 1987 after only having been with Yuuri for a few months. Based on Yuuri’s age this time, he must have lived a few years longer in the past life than Viktor had. He wondered what that must have been like for him, having lost his love and enduring a few years more in that life, just waiting for death to take him to the next.

Viktor was about to respond to Yuuri when he saw Yuuri’s coach come up, apologizing profusely for the scene that was occurring. He carefully removed Yuuri from his grasp on Viktor and dragged the drunken man towards his hotel room. Viktor just stood there in shock, unable to fully comprehend what all had just happened. Of all of the various scenarios where they had finally been able to meet, this one had to have been the absolute most embarrassing. But something had resonated within Viktor, the fact that Yuuri seemed to actually want him. They had danced together that night, and Yuuri even took a turn on the stripper pole with Chris. It was much different than any other encounter Viktor had ever had with Yuuri, and he couldn’t help but think to himself that maybe this time it would be different. Maybe they would finally get their happy ending.

 

* * *

 

_The year was 1904, and Viktor had just signed up to join the military. A couple weeks earlier, the Japanese had launched an attack on the naval fleet at Fort Arthur, destroying several ships. In retaliation, the Tsar had declared war on Japan a few days later, and Viktor knew this was his chance to see him again. He immediately went down to the local recruitment center that had just been set up recently for the war and signed the papers he needed to be enlisted. They put him on the Trans-Siberian railroad headed for the east, and he rode for several days across Siberia. When he reached the end of the track, he joined up with other new recruits to trek the rest of the way into Manchuria. They arrived at Port Arthur a few weeks later, and Viktor was assigned to a unit commanded by General Stoessel, who was widely believe to be incompetent._

_And incompetent he was, as only a few days after Viktor arrived, he allowed the Japanese to land ships at Port Arthur unopposed. The Russians bunkered down on Nanshan Hill, settling in trenches and waiting for the inevitable attack. The Japanese had taken the nearby city of Chinchou a couple days earlier and were supposedly heading to Nanshan Hill. May 26 th was a bitter, wet day and Viktor assumed that was why the Japanese had yet to attack. They didn’t want to start the battle in this kind of weather. Unlike the Russian forces, the Japanese were not used to this harsh environment. Viktor realized that this lull might be his only chance to find him. Fate had a way of bringing them together, so he was sure that Yuuri had to be on the other side._

_He was tired of hanging out in trenches, waiting for the fighting to start. Instead, he decided to defy his orders to stay put and leave this god-forsaken hole in the ground to do some searching of his own. If anyone asked, he would just say that he was going out to spy on the enemy. He had to find Yuuri somehow._

_Viktor quietly snuck away from his post, and headed for the northern end of the trench. Luckily, there was a crude ladder near the edge that he used to climb up and out easily. Once he had reached the top, he dropped down onto the ground and rolled around a bit in the mud to act as a makeshift camouflage. He was already pretty dirty after going so long without a bath, but his silver hair tended to stand out quite a bit and if he was going to head towards the Japanese army, he needed all of the extra blending in he could get._

_By this point, Viktor was sure that he had a death wish. Walking towards the enemy army alone and unarmed other than a standard issue knife is usually one of the biggest no-nos when it comes to the basics of warfare. There could be landmines or traps anywhere. Viktor knew that most of the Russian landmines had been situated further south; however, there was no telling whether or not the Japanese had gotten the chance to plant anything. But Viktor just had to find him, he had to._

_As Viktor drew further from the Russian base, he could just start to make out the Japanese camp in the distance. The tents just barely poked out over the horizon, like pimples on the earth. As much as Viktor wanted to do his duty as a countryman and defend his home, he wanted to find Yuuri more. They had not gotten much time together last life, not to mention it was a bit surreal considering their last life had only been the first reincarnation. They didn’t even expect to find each other. But they had, and Viktor was determined to make it happen again. He didn’t even want to think of the alternative._

_Suddenly, Viktor felt cold metal enclose around his leg as jagged teeth cut into his flesh. He collapsed to the ground in pain, resisting the urge to scream in agony. He looked down at his leg which was now absolutely covered in blood. He had stumbled into a bear trap. He cursed and then laughed to himself. Of all the things to finally get him, it had to be a bear trap? Hadn’t his mother taught him all of these years to watch out for these? He was distracted by his thoughts of Yuuri, and he had dropped his guard. Now he would never get to see Yuuri, not in this life at least._

_He felt delirious. Possibly in part because of the blood loss and partially because of his despair. There was nothing that could save him now. He couldn’t get out of this on his own. He was just going to slowly bleed to death with Yuuri’s name on his lips. What happens if they don’t die together? If Yuuri lives twenty years longer in this lifetime, they won’t been even near the same age in the next.  Will he ever actually get to see him again?_

_Frantically, Viktor attempted to pry the trap open but it was no use. He was not strong enough on his own. These things were built for bears for god sake; there was no way to free his leg. He might have to resort to amputation if he wanted to live, but then what would be the point of living in this life? He might as well just move onto the next, since he would probably have a better chance of finding Yuuri with two good legs and hopefully next time Japan and Russia won’t be at war with each other. Regardless, Viktor did not want to chop off his any appendages, but especially either of his legs. He was rather fond of his legs._

_His vision began to blur and a certain uneasiness overcame him. He wasn’t sure if it was due to his injury, the thought of never getting to see Yuuri, or the thought of chopping off his leg that initiated his wooziness, but regardless Viktor wasn’t sure how much longer he would last. He then began to think that he could hear voices in the distance, but he wasn’t sure if they were real people or just angels. Maybe after this he wouldn’t come back. Maybe this was just the end._

_He felt a kick to his side and he picked his head up ever so slightly. Someone had actually found him, and based on the uniform, it was a Japanese soldier. His vision was still rather skewed, but Viktor still managed to make out the gestures the Japanese was making. He was saying something in Japanese while motioning to the bear trap. The man pulled out a rather thick metal rod from his pouch and started attempting to leverage the trap open. Viktor managed to sit up enough to grab onto the edges of the trap and try to push it open with his arms, but his blood loss had left him rather weak. He didn’t understand why a Japanese would be helping him, other than to take him as a prisoner but yet this guy seemed determined to lend a hand._

_With the man’s help, Viktor was able to barely slide his leg out, but on the way out the metal teeth caused large, deep scrapes down the sides of his leg. He winced in pain, and immediately dropped his leg to the ground once it was free. The Japanese man seemed satisfied with their work in freeing Viktor, and then stooped over to pick up Viktor, bridal style. Viktor finally managed to get a good look at the man’s face and..._

_It wasn’t Yuuri. It was a man Viktor had never met before. He shouldn’t have gotten his hopes up in finding Yuuri. After all, Viktor didn’t even know if Yuuri would be a soldier. For all Viktor knew, Yuuri could be back home in Japan, and Viktor could be risking his life for nothing._

_Viktor realized that the soldier was carrying him towards the Japanese camp. He was right, and they were taking him as a prisoner of war. They will probably torture him for information and then leave him to bleed out. He suddenly wished that he had just died back at the bear trap. At least he wouldn’t die as a traitor to his country._

_The man carried him into the Japanese camp and brought him into a tent. Inside, there was a row of blanket-covered cots. A few were occupied by various, unconscious, wounded Japanese soldiers, but the rest were empty or covered in excess supplies such as sheets and clothing. He wasn’t in a cell; he was in the infirmary. They were going to bandage his leg up after all. At least they would give him that much before torturing him._

_His rescuer carefully lowered him onto one of the empty beds. Viktor gave him a slight head bow, hopefully conveying his gratitude to the other man. The man gave a slight nod back, before exiting the tent. Viktor had no idea what was going to happen now, but he did know that it had been ages since he had laid on an actual bed. Or at least on a cot like this. He felt himself starting to nod off, and he sank into the sweet relief of sleep._

* * *

 

_He awoke after only a few minutes to a feeling of pain in his leg. Someone was covering it with something, because Viktor could feel some sort of bandage around his leg. He opened his eyes to see a Japanese man in a medic’s uniform seated with his back towards Viktor, tending to Viktor’s leg. He wore the standard white hat with a red cross on it to denote his medic status on top of a messy mop of black hair._

_“Why are you helping me?” Viktor said in Russian. The man didn’t take notice so Viktor repeated it in English, hoping that they might find some common language in which to communicate with. Viktor was lucky he had studied some English in his spare time in order to read some of the British and American literature he had come across over the years. The medic turned around after hearing the English words and Viktor was finally able to see his face. He let out a laugh at the sight, he just couldn’t believe it. After all of this time, he had finally found Yuuri._

_“Satoshi bring you. I help all.” Yuuri replied in broken English, ignoring Viktor’s awkward laughing, and then he turned back to tending to Viktor’s leg. Viktor realized that the Japanese officers must not have realized that he was even here. The man who had rescued him had just brought him to get medical attention and then leave. And it just so happened that the medic he brought to Viktor was Yuuri. Was he living a dream? The odds of all of this happening were so minuscule, it must just be fate._

_Viktor wasn’t sure how much more time he would have here and he needed to make Yuuri remember somehow. He wasn’t sure how though, and with the language barrier it would be even harder to make him understand. Yuuri was almost done with his leg for sure, and then he would have to leave camp somehow or risk being discovered._

_“Do you know me?” Viktor prompted Yuuri, hoping to get some sort of affirmative response out of him. But Yuuri just shook his head with his eyebrows raised, slightly confused by the question. He continued with his work and Viktor frantically searched his brain for any possible way to remind Yuuri of their past lives. Before he could, however, Yuuri finished up Viktor’s leg and turned to leave when Viktor grabbed his arm to stop him._

_Yuuri looked at him with his eyes round with shock, and Viktor could feel himself falling in love with his deep brown eyes all over again, for the third time. Mustering his remaining strength, Viktor pulled Yuuri down onto his lips. He could feel the Japanese man stuggling, trying to pull away in horror at first, but then suddenly his demeanor shifted and Yuuri began kissing back. Viktor relished the taste of Yuuri’s lips on his for the first time in a long time. But, as soon as it started, however, Yuuri pulled away._

_“V-viktor, I remember! I remember everything!” Yuuri said in Russian._

_“You remembered the Russian I taught you too.” Viktor smiled. Third time was the charm. Yuuri remembered, and they could finally be together. All they needed to do was leave this place and they could finally have their happy ending._

_“I can’t believe you found me, especially like this. I mean, our countries are at war with each other.” Yuuri was in utter disbelief._

_Viktor grabbed Yuuri’s face and pulled it down to right above his own, “I will always find you Yuuri, and I will always choose you. No matter what it takes.”_

_Yuuri’s face hovered above Viktor’s for a moment, but as he was leaning down for another kiss, a guard suddenly entered the tent. He took one look at the Japanese medic well within the personal space of an injured Russian soldier and immediately took off running and screaming that there was a Russian in the med tent._

_Yuuri began to panic and throw things around in an adrenaline fueled frenzy, but Viktor took his hand and urged him to calm down. He needed Yuuri to help him up so that way they could run. Yuuri slowly helped Viktor to his feet and allowed Viktor to lean on him for support so that he could hobble out of the medical tent. They exited the tent only to find themselves utterly surrounded by guards holding weapons. The Japanese men yelled at the two of them, and Viktor assumed they were telling them to surrender. A part of Viktor admired the efficiency of the Japanese, but he was crushed that their happy ending would have to wait again. There was no way they could get out of this, not with Viktor’s leg the way it was._

_“Yuuri, look at me,” Viktor said in Russian hoping that the others wouldn’t understand, “It’s not going to happen this time. But that’s okay. We can try again next time. We’ll keep trying until we get it right.”_

_Yuuri nodded solemnly, with tears streaming down his face. They both knew that neither one of them would come out alive, with Viktor being a Russian and Yuuri being caught aiding a Russian._

_The leading officer screamed one word in Japanese and Yuuri flung himself into Viktor’s arms._

_“Do svidaniya,” Yuuri whispered into Viktor’s ear as the gunshots echoed in the air around them for only a mere moment before everything went black._

* * *

 

Viktor leaned back onto his bed in his own hotel room, the events of the night replaying rapidly through his head. A drunken Yuuri, clinging to him and dancing with him. Viktor could feel himself blushing. Besides the drunk part, it was everything he had ever wanted with Yuuri. He had actually been able to enjoy himself with Yuuri, and he got the feeling that despite Yuuri’s drunkenness, Yuuri got to experience the same. At least this time, their countries weren’t at war with each other. As he’s said the past six times, maybe this time this is finally their happy ending.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you guys liked the chapter...the other chapters will be pretty similar. Each one will explain one of their previous lives with context from the current one with a big wrap-up in the last chapter. I don't know when I'll be able to update but I'll try to get it done as soon as possible. Christmas break is coming up so I should have time then. Thanks for reading and be sure to leave and comments or constructive criticism! It really helps me out!
> 
> "Do svdaniya" is Russian for goodbye if I did my translation correctly


	2. 1960, the Space Race

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright so episode 11 happened...I’m thinking that I’m going to keep writing this within the context of through episode 10, but not any further. I think it will just flow better with my original plan. Also, I did change the title; I thought it was a bit long so I shortened it. I really appreciate all of you who checked out my first chapter, I hardly ever write fanfics and I’ve never written one this long (or how long it will be) before so it means a lot. This chapter is also quite a bit longer than the last, by over a thousand words. Whoops.

Viktor couldn’t believe what he was seeing. Yuuri had tried to skate his routine, and it had gone viral. Well, at least the caption said that he tried to skate it, but in Viktor’s eyes he had done more than try, he had perfected it. Viktor had always felt that some aspect of his program had been lacking this year, and he focused on that void during his performances. He skated with the knowledge that his other half was out there, but until they met again, he was hollow.  Yuuri’s performance in the video seemed to fill that gap, and bring out the other side of the routine that Viktor was searching for. Sure, it was a bit rough around the edges when it came to the technical aspects, but the emotions that he was conveying through the performance simply put Viktor in awe. It seemed like Yuuri was searching for something too.

It was inspiring to say the least, and it was like two pieces of a puzzle just fitting together perfectly. His performance absolutely complemented Viktor’s. Viktor knew that Yuuri was always the source of most of his inspiration in all of their past lives, and it seemed to him like this one would be no different. He knew what he needed to do now.

 

* * *

 

_It had been around thirty years since Viktor had started in this life, and he had yet to find Yuuri. He was beginning to lose hope; it had never taken them this long before to find each other. Viktor wasn’t sure if he would ever find him again._

_To distract him from his troubles, he had dived headfirst into his work and drowned himself in it. It was currently the height of the Space Race, and the Soviets were working long hours to beat the Americans in getting a man to space first. A few months earlier, they had learned that the Americans would have the capability of launching a sub-orbital space flight in as early as January, so that had set the Soviet’s own deadline. The Soviets wanted a victory for communism, and to show that capitalism is weak, so they could not afford to lose. Viktor couldn’t care less about the political reasoning, he just thought it would be amazing to send someone to space. Space was uncharted territory, and it fascinated Viktor._

_His job at the Soviet space program left him little time to search for Yuuri, but Viktor had lost much of his hope in finding him, and his work allowed him to fill the void, if only just a bit. Viktor was a chemist working on developing new sorts of more efficient rocket fuel for their rockets and in the current moment he was rather stuck in a bind. He could tell he was so close to getting this formula perfected for a hypergolic liquid fuel that would give the absolute maximum performance possible, but he couldn’t figure out which acid would work as the best oxidizer to use with it. He had tried multiple by this point, and none had done the trick. In fact, a bunch of his tests had even blown up in his face. He was exasperated and running out of ideas. His bosses were on his ass about getting this done in time for the deadline and if Viktor couldn’t come up with something soon, he would likely lose his job and any semblance of prestige he had in the scientific world. It was some rather intense pressure, but Viktor could handle it._

_At least he thought he could, until one day one of his bosses decided to come down to Viktor’s lab and check on his progress. Needless to say, he did not like what he saw. Viktor received an ultimatum that day, get it to work in the next month or be fired. Viktor worked tirelessly from that day forward, only getting enough sleep to stay cognizant and eating as he worked. He spent about eighteen hours a day in his lab, yet nothing was working._

_A few days after he was given the ultimatum, his work was interrupted by a knock at the door. He stood up and watched as a few of their guards escorted a timid-looking Asian man into the room. He had his head down, and he almost looked a bit scared to be there._

_“What’s this?” Viktor asked one of the guards._

_“The higher ups thought you could use a pair of fresh eyes to help with your work so they called in another chemist to come help you. He’s a part of some international science guild so needless to say he’s not from around here. I don’t know what strings were pulled to get him here but I’m told he has a knack for this sort of thing. He doesn’t speak Russian but he should know enough English for you to communicate.”_

_The guard turned to the man and gestured to Viktor, “This is Dr. Viktor Nikiforov. He’s the one you’ll be working with.”_

_The man raised his head and held his hand out for Viktor to shake_

_“Nice to meet you,” he said in heavily-accented English, “I’m-“_

_“Katsuki Yuuri,” Viktor interrupted with a heavy breath._

_Yuuri looked at him in shock, “How did you-“_

_Viktor quickly realized his mistake. “I’ve read some of your papers, fantastic work,” he said, shaking Yuuri’s hand and trying to regain his composure. Yuuri didn’t look convinced, but he mercifully dropped the subject. Seeing that their job was finished, the guards left the room, leaving the two chemists to themselves._

_Viktor was in utter shock but he was trying to maintain his calm. He couldn’t believe that after all of this time they had finally found each other. But as beautiful as this moment was for Viktor, he couldn’t afford to slip up a single bit. He had learned last time that trying to convince Yuuri of their reincarnation circumstance wouldn’t work. And if he was going to work with Yuuri for a while, he couldn’t just up and kiss him to make him remember either. He’d learned that lesson too. He was going to have to make Yuuri want to kiss him, all the while focusing on his work and not losing his job._

_Viktor cursed under his breath, this was going to be tough. Every atom in his body was screaming at him to run to Yuuri and hold him for the first time in about thirty years. He wanted to caress Yuuri’s face and run his fingers through Yuuri’s soft, black hair. The proximity to Yuuri was absolutely murdering Viktor on the inside. Yuuri was merely a few meters away, yet in this situation he was untouchable._

_“I’m very pleased to get to meet you,” Yuuri broke the silence with a quivering voice, “I’ve read a lot of your papers too and I’m a huge fan of your work. You’re absolutely brilliant.”_

_His words caught Viktor a bit off guard. Yuuri knew of him? How interesting._

_“Well then let’s get to work shall we?” Viktor said. Yuuri’s face fell a bit and Viktor realized that Yuuri had been looking for a more warm response. Shit, Viktor was just so flustered he didn’t know how to handle this situation properly._

_Viktor started showing Yuuri around the lab as well as some the work he had already done. Yuuri couldn’t read Viktor’s notes in Russian, so he asked Viktor to read certain bits to him. Viktor was surprised, since Yuuri had said earlier that he had read some of Viktor’s papers. Yuuri then explained that the science guild he worked for had translated many of Viktor’s papers to English for reference purposes. Viktor didn’t mind reading his notes to Yuuri though. Yuuri would interject on occasion, either to ask a question or to mention something that he thought might be wrong. His face would light up every time he understood something new or connected some pieces that even Viktor himself had not realized and Viktor found it amazing. Viktor could feel a warmth on his face and he hoped that Yuuri didn’t realize that he was blushing. Yuuri was just so adorable when he was excited about new discoveries and piecing together bits of the puzzle._

_After Viktor finished reading out his notes they got to work, testing out different solutions that Yuuri had suggested. For days they continued like this, and Viktor greatly enjoyed Yuuri’s company. A part of him still wanted to hold Yuuri and tell him everything, but he managed to restrain that part of himself. A couple of times though, their arms had brushed while reaching for things or they had bumped into each other and Viktor had almost lost it. But he managed to keep his cool. Yuuri seemed to be more relaxed too, and not nearly as timid as his first day. Although, Viktor could imagine that the Soviets would seem rather daunting to any foreigner, even the bravest of souls. Yuuri was still rather shaky outside of the lab, but when he was in the lab with Viktor, it was like he was in his element. He was extremely focused, and he almost seemed to be soaring around the lab while measuring chemicals and taking down notes. Viktor could also tell that a part of Yuuri wanted to impress Viktor. He would seek Viktor’s approval before doing a reaction and if he did something well, he looked for Viktor’s praise. Unlike the first day, Viktor would always treat Yuuri as warm as possible, hoping that he could convey even the slightest bit of love he felt for Yuuri without coming off as too strong._

_Things were going well, and they were making some significant progress. Viktor couldn’t quite understand it, but he worked much better when Yuuri was around. It was almost as if Yuuri’s very presence there was an inspiration in itself. He dreaded the day that Yuuri would have to return to Japan, and Viktor began to wonder if he could follow him there. He doubted it; the Soviets were not going to let one of their top scientists leave the country any time soon. He would have to somehow tell Yuuri about everything before he left, without scaring him away. Currently, Viktor had no idea how to do that._

_Viktor started to find himself rather preoccupied with his thoughts of how to get Yuuri to understand everything and it left him rather distracted in certain instances. At one point, he was leaned over a beaker, trying to pour the exact amount of a chemical necessary from a flask when he didn’t notice Yuuri come up behind him and he jumped, accidentally bumping into the table in the process. Everything fell to the floor, glass shattering and chemicals spilling everywhere._

_“Sor-sorry,” Yuuri said as he reached to grab something to clean the mess with._

_“It’s not your fault,” Viktor replied, “I was distracted.”_

_“You seemed rather focused to me. It was my fault, I shouldn’t have snuck up behind you while you were working so hard,” Yuuri seemed rather ashamed._

_Viktor bit his lip. He wanted to tell Yuuri so badly that he was distracted by thoughts of him but he knew that would be inappropriate. Instead, he just sort of nodded at Yuuri._

_Yuuri passed a mop to Viktor and then took one for himself. They began cleaning up the mess in silence, neither one of them wanting to acknowledge the awkwardness that had settled in the air. After they had mopped up all of the chemicals and swept up all of the glass they could, they got down on the floor and began hand-picking all of the remaining bits of glass. Soon, there was only one piece left, and it was rather deep underneath the table._

_“I’ve got it,” they both cried at the same time as they dived for the last bit of glass. They were both reaching for it as their heads smacked together with a thud. Viktor backed away while grasping his forehead where his face had met Yuuri’s. He could see Yuuri doing the same, his hands clenched tightly._

_“I-I am so sorry,” Yuuri looked as if he was close to tears. He looked so ashamed over such a silly mistake. Viktor didn’t know what to say so instead he just reached over and grabbed both of Yuuri’s hands from his face and held them in his own. Yuuri looked astonished as Viktor began to run his thumb in circles reassuringly along the back of Yuuri’s hand. Yuuri’s hands slowly began to relax._

_“It’s alright. It really is,” Viktor looked up at Yuuri to show that he wasn’t mad. His actions seemed comforting to Yuuri, and Viktor watched as the other man slowly calmed down. Suddenly, Yuuri threw his arms around Viktor’s shoulders and gave him a grateful hug. Viktor let out a sharp breath. He carefully raised his arms to return the favor, his internal self screaming at the sudden closeness of their bodies._

_“Thank you,” Yuuri said softly. Viktor felt tears welling up in his eyes, he wanted so badly to just kiss Yuuri then and there, and make him remember. Yuuri pulled out of the hug and just sat there for a moment. His eyes were shimmering with his restrained tears, and his face was flushed with emotion. His head was bowed and he was staring blankly at his hands. He was absolutely gorgeous like that, his internal emotions spilled out for Viktor to see. For the first time in ages, Viktor could see Yuuri’s heart on his sleeve. In that instant, all of Viktor’s self-control flew out the window. He gently cupped Yuuri’s face before pulling it into his own, his arm looped around Yuuri’s neck as he kissed him softly. At first, Yuuri was too lethargic to do much other than take the kiss, but suddenly some part of him snapped and he began to lean in hungrily. For both of them, it was as if they had been in the desert for so long and the other was an oasis. They had both missed each other for so long. Viktor could feel Yuuri running his fingers through Viktor’s hair and every bit he touched felt electric. Viktor soon returned the favor and Yuuri practically melted in his arms. Too soon for Viktor, Yuuri then pulled out of the kiss._

_“I am so so so so sorry,” Yuuri said suddenly, surprising Viktor, “I remember. Last time, I made a huge mistake and I am so sorry.”_

_“It’s alright. It really is,” Viktor said laughing, “I thought you would be mad at me for doing this.”_

_“But you took it slow this time, what am I to be mad about? You took your time for me.” Yuuri said._

_“I’ll always meet you halfway.” Viktor was grinning wildly._

_The next few days were a blur. Every second they could they spent holding each other, looping their arms around one another, making up for all of the lost time. They tried to be somewhat discreet, because any moment a guard or someone could walk by and see them. Homosexuality was very much illegal in the Soviet Union, and if they were caught they would likely lose much more than just their jobs. But still, they slipped in chaste kisses and loving touches whenever they could. Viktor told Yuuri that after this was done, they should run away together. Yuuri happily agreed, and for the first time in a while, Viktor thought they might have a shot at their happy ending._

_However, their deadline was fast approaching and they still had not gotten it to work. They were close, much closer than Viktor had been before Yuuri showed up. They tirelessly powered through their work, each one feeding off the other’s energy._

_One day, however, Yuuri suggested combining the hydrazine with nitric acid mixed with dinitrogen tetroxide and the result was much better than any fuel Viktor had ever seen before. It was efficient and it didn’t require an external igniter; it would light on its own when mixed with the hypergolic. They learned that bit the hard way, and spent a day laughing while cleaning up the giant mess from the mini-explosion. They ran a few more tests to discover that the solution would also store longer than most other rocket fuels, due to its high boiling point. It was perfect. Viktor and Yuuri were ecstatic; together they had finally done it._

_Viktor brought his results to his bosses and they were pleased. They ordered the solution to be mass produced quickly in order to be used on a test missile scheduled for launch in late October, a couple of weeks before now. They wanted to launch it before November 7 th, the anniversary of the Bolshevik Revolution, so they were doing crunch time. The engineers working with Viktor and Yuuri’s fuel had nicknamed it “Devil’s Venom” since it was rather corrosive if not handled properly. The corrosiveness of the fuel concerned Yuuri a bit, but Viktor told him not to worry, the technicians were professionals after all, they knew how to handle it._

_Viktor and Yuuri spent their remaining time before the launch running final tests on the Devil’s Venom and overseeing the production of the fuel. They had to make sure the mixture was perfect, without a single imbalance in the chemicals. Any mistake could be catastrophic._

_By October 21 st, the missile was installed into the launch pad and the final preparations began to be made. The 23rd was set as the official launch date, and the higher officers began pushing the ground crews hard to make it in time._

_Viktor and Yuuri got to go up close to see the rocket on the launch pad on the 23 rd as it was being fueled. It was absolutely amazing for the both of them, as neither one had gotten to see a missile like this up close before. They tried not to let their awe distract them from their main job though, which was to oversee the crews putting their fuel into the rocket and do a few final tests to make sure everything was chemically balanced. Yuuri was a bit peeved, however, as they were supposed to evacuate all non-essential personnel during the fueling and they had not. About a hundred fifty people by Viktor’s estimate were still loitering around the launch pad._

_Viktor stood on the catwalk and watched the people casually hanging about down below while Yuuri had his head bent over, running some of their final inspections. Suddenly, Yuuri jerked his head up and looked at Viktor, a panicked expression on his face._

_“Viktor, there’s a fuel leak!” Yuuri said, horrified._

_Viktor was shocked; if this got out of hand it could be disastrous. The Devil’s Venom gave off a poisonous gas so if the leak got too intense, it could suffocate everyone nearby._

_“We need to go tell someone right now.” Viktor grabbed Yuuri’s hand and pulled him along as they ran for help. Together they ran down to the main part of the pad to find Nedelin, the officer in charge. Yuuri was a bit scared to approach Nedelin, so Viktor left Yuuri and went to talk to Nedelin himself. Viktor explained the situation, but yet Nedelin seemed undeterred._

_“How bad is it?” he asked Viktor. Viktor went back and asked Yuuri for his estimate and Yuuri said it was about 140 to 150 drops per minute._

_“It’s about 140 to 150 drops per minute sir,” Viktor told him._

_“Well then we’ll just have to contain the leak until the launch. Do you think you can do that?” Nedelin looked at Viktor._

_“But sir, if the leak gets any worse it could be catastrophic for everyone here,” Viktor implored Nedelin._

_“I asked if you think you can contain the leak. We cannot afford to alter the launch,” Nedelin’s tone told Viktor that he was not asking as much as he was telling them to restrain it._

_“Yes sir,” Viktor bowed his head respectfully. Nedelin walked off and Viktor told Yuuri what Nedelin had told him._

_“What? That’s insane; he’s putting everyone’s lives in danger.” Yuuri seemed rather stressed._

_Viktor put his hands comfortingly on Yuuri’s shoulder, “We can petition the higher officers to drain the fuel, but if that doesn’t work, we’re just going to have to do as he says and try to keep everyone here safe.”_

_Yuuri buried his head into Viktor’s neck and Viktor looked around to make sure no one was watching. After being sure that they were alright, Viktor began rubbing his hand up and down Yuuri’s back reassuringly while cooing to him gently. After a moment had passed, Viktor removed Yuuri from his neck and grabbed his face softly to look him dead in the eyes._

_“You ready to be brave with me?” Viktor asked._

_“With you, of course,” Yuuri replied._

_Viktor took Yuuri over to General Gerchik, and together they explained the dire situation and their proposal to drain all of the fuel from the rocket, however Gerchik was not pleased with that idea. Because of the corrosive properties of the fuel, if they drained it all they would never be able to use that rocket again. They would have to build an entire other missile to test before advancing on their plans to send someone to space, and that could set them back months. By that point, the Americans would get a man up there first and the Soviets would lose._

_Viktor cursed the Soviets’ stubbornness to himself. They valued their victory over human lives. However, with no other options, Viktor and Yuuri resigned themselves to working to contain the leak. The rest of the tests by all of the crews on that day ended with disaster upon disaster. The membranes on the fuel line on the first stage blew up, the_ _pyrotechnic devices on the valves of one of three engines in the first stage fired spontaneously, and the electrical current distributor A-120 supplying the power to the rocket failed. No lives were lost due to these events, but these failures were deemed not enough to deter the Soviets from launching. They did however delay the launch to the next day to fix some of these issues, but they could not wait to launch more than two days because of the failure of the membranes on the fuel line. Viktor and Yuuri were incredulous. They simply could not believe that the Soviets were going through with this launch._

_The morning of October 24 th was a madhouse on the launch pad. They worked quickly to get everything prepared, but the launch time had to keep being delayed by thirty minutes at a time. Nedelin was frustrated, and he drove out onto the launch pad himself and plopped down on a chair to oversee the crews frantically scrambling around to get everything ready. Viktor and Yuuri were doing everything they could to control the fuel leak all the while going through their pre-launch procedures from yesterday again. It was stressful, and a few times they had to take a break and walk to find a secluded place to just hold each other and give each other reassurances. They were frustrated, tired, and just wanted it to all be over._

_At about six-fifteen in the evening, the officials set the final launch time as an hour from that point. They were getting impatient, and it reminded Viktor of the ultimatum they had given him only a few weeks before. All of the crews kicked into overdrive, using whatever energy they had left to finish it up. Viktor and Yuuri were hunched over, running one final test on the fuel when Yuuri dropped his tools exasperatedly. He looked just like he had the day Viktor had kissed him, his face flushed with emotion and close to tears. His hands were clenched tightly in frustration so Viktor took Yuuri’s hands into his own and rubbed reassuring circles into the back of Yuuri’s hand._

_“It’s alright, I’m here,” Viktor reassured him._

_“I know,” Yuuri said, “And I’m so glad that you’re here. I couldn’t handle this without you.”_

_“The feeling is quite mutual,” Viktor let out a good natured laugh and wrapped his arms around Yuuri’s neck. It reminded him so much of the day that he had kissed him and made him remember. It seemed Yuuri felt the same nostalgia, and he began leaning closer to Viktor’s face._

_A sudden hissing noise interrupted their moment, and Yuuri pulled away quickly, his face filled with concern._

_The last thing Viktor remembered was the horrified look on Yuuri’s face and the sorrow in his eyes as the wall of fire consumed them both._

* * *

 

“Let’s get going Makkachin,” Viktor turned and looked back at his now rather sparse apartment. Everything had been packed in boxes and shipped off to Japan. The delivery men had come yesterday to fetch his stuff, but Viktor’s plane only left today so his apartment was rather empty. He had yet to talk to Yakov about him leaving, but he wanted to put off Yakov’s inevitable lecture for as long as possible. He knew that the old man would not approve his retirement from skating, all to chase a boy from Japan. But Viktor had been chasing this boy for multiple lifetimes, and he wasn’t about to quit now. He had finally found his muse again, and now he was going to uproot his entire life for him, because without his inspiration, Viktor is nothing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I did have to take a few creative liberties on the historical aspects of this chapter. Obviously, a Japanese scientist would unlikely be helping out the Soviets but I kind of like to think that scientific progress transcends political boundaries a bit (as long as they aren’t extreme rivals). Also, I could not find anything on who developed Devil’s Venom or how so I kind of played around with that bit. However, the explosion is actually real. It occurred on October 24th, 1960 and was dubbed the Nedelin catastrophe. They estimate at least 78 people died from it. Anyways, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! Be sure to let me know what you think in the comments!


	3. 1929, the Sino-Soviet Conflict (among other things)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some of you probably caught the not so subtle references to their 4th life in the last chapter. Well, now you get to see what happened then. Brace yourselves.
> 
> Also thanks for all of the feedback you guys gave me on that last chapter. The kudos and the comments, I appreciate all of it so thanks!

Viktor couldn’t believe his meeting up with Yuuri in Japan was going so horribly. Viktor had arrived in Hasetsu and managed to find the resort Yuuri had mentioned at the banquet that his parents owned. When he got there, he asked Yuuri’s parents where Yuuri was and they said he was still asleep. Viktor didn’t want to disturb Yuuri, so Viktor decided to check out their lovely hot spring while he was waiting. He had a rather long flight and his muscles were a bit cramped from sitting still so long on the plane, so taking a hot bath would be fantastic. He was just sitting there and relaxing when a disheveled Yuuri suddenly burst into the bath. He seemed rather shocked and surprised to see Viktor there in front of him. Viktor then announced his intentions of becoming Yuuri’s coach and Yuuri just flat out lost it. It seemed like an odd response to Viktor, considering Yuuri had practically begged Viktor to become his coach at the banquet.

The rest of the evening did not go as planned either. Viktor kept trying to make subtle advances towards Yuuri, but Yuuri did not understand any of them. Viktor had hoped that he and Yuuri could have picked up right where they left off but that didn’t seem to be an option. It was such a sharp contrast to that Grand Prix Final banquet and it left Viktor awfully confused. As he settled down onto the floor for the night after a failed attempt to share a bed with Yuuri, he just kept thinking to himself:

“What am I doing wrong?”

 

* * *

 

_Viktor was disappointed. Last life, he had hoped that by the time he was able to go find Yuuri, there wouldn’t be a war, yet it seemed the relatively new Soviet Union had something to prove. Luckily, the fight wasn’t against the Japanese this time. It was against the Chinese, but it still made going to the eastern area of the country a bit tricky. The Chinese had seized a portion of the_ _Manchurian Chinese Eastern Railway back from the Soviets which they found rather infuriating and retaliated with military action. Viktor had learned last time that signing up for the military was not the way to go, so instead he saved up enough money to buy his own ticket for the rails as far as he could go without getting caught up in the conflict. He was aiming to reach the port of Vladivostok to take a boat to Japan, but the quickest route there was straight through Manchuria, aka where all of the battles were occurring. Viktor ended up having to take the northern route on the Trans-Siberian Railroad all the way around Manchuria, which added extra time and expense to his trip. Viktor was irritated mostly because he had worked hard to get enough money to travel east in search of Yuuri, and this conflict would delay him further. He spent the money he was planning to use to pay for the boat over to Japan on the extra expense for going around Manchuria, so he was going to have to find a job in Vladivostok to raise the money for the rest of the way._

_Viktor was just relieved to get somewhat closer to Yuuri. Vladivostok was thousands of miles closer to Japan than St. Petersburg was. Of course, Viktor had no clue where in Japan Yuuri might be, but as he said in his last life, fate had a way of bringing them together. Being that much closer made it that much more likely they would run into each other, which filled Viktor with hope._

_His train arrived in Vladivostok as the sun was just starting to going down which was unfortunate for Viktor. He did not have a place to sleep that night nor enough money for a hotel so that gave Viktor only about an hour to figure out his arrangements for the night. He figured that worst case scenario he would sleep on the beach tonight. It wouldn’t be so bad. The waves could lull him to sleep and if a police officer asked what he was doing on the beach that late at night he could just say that he had fallen asleep during the day and slept too long._

_As he got off of the train, he quickly realized that getting transportation to Japan would be much harder than he had anticipated. Since the conflict had broken out, the port had become more militarized as supplies were coming into the port to help the troops in Manchuria. There were much fewer civilian ships coming in and out, and the docks were more guarded. It would be harder to find a ship to Japan, if there even were any._

_Viktor figured the first thing he could do was go down to the shoreline to get a better idea of his situation. Perhaps there would be a kindly soul with a boat who would give him a ride to Japan in exchange for labor. At the very least he could go get a glimpse of the ocean. Maybe he could even find a spot on the beach to crash on later tonight._

_As Viktor got closer and closer to the docks, the military presence became increasingly prevalent. But Viktor didn’t feel like he had much to worry about. He was a Soviet citizen after all, and he very much looked like one with his rather pale skin and blue eyes. It would have been much worse for him in this day and age if he was Chinese or at least looked even the slightest bit Chinese._

_Viktor soon found that he could not go completely onto the docks. They were blocked off by the soldiers. They told him that he needed authorization to go down there, or at least a ticket to show that he had business on the docks. No unnecessary civilians were allowed to loiter on the docks. Viktor was a bit peeved but he didn’t try to fight them. Instead, he disappointedly moped his way to the beach._

_The sky was rather cloudy that day, and as a result the ocean was a drab grey color, only slightly mixed with the oranges of the sunset. Viktor probably stuck out like a sore thumb on the beach, all bundled up still from his journey and carrying his suitcase, but luckily not a lot of people were currently on the beach. There were a couple families with some children playing in the sand, but no one really wanted to take off work to go to the beach on such a dreary looking day. No one was in the water either because it was fairly chilly outside._

_Viktor plopped down onto the sand. He should be searching around the town looking for work, but he was still rather weary from his journey and really just wanted to sit for a moment. The ocean was always a key point of fascination for Viktor, since he grew up in a port city as well. He loved to sit on the beach and just watch the waves come crashing in. But here it was especially intriguing because he was much closer to Yuuri, and if he could just cross this vast, grey expanse somehow, they could finally be reunited._

_He gazed out onto the horizon, and for a moment he thought that he could see the small, raised bumps of Japan, but of course that was an illusion. He was too far away from the islands to be able to see them. He imagined that he could though, and that there was a figure on top of them, waving at him and beckoning for him to come. Viktor wanted to go to the figure, but he couldn’t, not yet anyways. He blinked a couple of times to escape the fantasy, but one dark spot on the horizon was not going away. He blinked furiously, but that one dark spot on the water was not disappearing. As a matter of fact, it was getting bigger by the second. As it grew closer, Viktor could see that it was a small boat, and he couldn’t see anyone on it. Maybe this was fate bringing him a vessel to get to Yuuri. Viktor wasn’t sure exactly how far Japan was across the water, but he knew the general direction. Perhaps he could take this boat and sail for Japan. It was a mad plan, but Viktor wasn’t exactly known for thinking everything through._

_Viktor took a look around to see that the families that had been there earlier had left. The boat on the horizon was still growing closer, but it was drifting further away from the docks, to a more secluded part of the beach. Viktor followed it as best he could, but as the sun set more and more it became harder and harder to track it._

_The last time Viktor managed to catch a glimpse of the boat, it was heading towards an area of the beach obscured by cliffs and rocks. This was perfect. Viktor could find a place to hide it, gather supplies tomorrow and then head off the day after bright and early. He made his best projection for where the boat was going to land and headed for that spot. Then, he waited. He considered making a fire, but that would be rather noticeable and he didn’t really have anything around that he could burn. The only things around there were sand and rocks._

_He didn’t have to wait long before the boat came back into view, heading right for him. Viktor gave himself a mental high-five for his calculations before rolling up his pant legs and heading into the water as far as he could go without getting terribly wet. Now that he could see it closer, he could tell it was a small fishing boat. It was definitely not the type for an oversea voyage, but Viktor would make it work._

_The boat floated right into his hands, and he began pulling it to the shore when he felt something whack his head. Surprised, he stumbled backwards, and landed right on his butt in the water._

_“So much for staying dry,” he muttered to himself. He glanced upwards to see what hit him, only to spot an angry Asian man standing on the boat, yelling at him in Japanese. His face was hard to see in the dark, but his body language among his tone told Viktor he was not pleased with Viktor’s efforts to take his boat._

_“Woah woah, I’m sorry,” Viktor said in English, hoping that the man would understand English. He held up his hands a bit to show that he meant no harm. Unfortunately, the man did not seem to understand English, and he continued his tirade. Viktor started getting worried, this man was rather loud and he might attract some unwanted attention._

_“Shhh,” Viktor hoped that word was at least universal, “I’m going to help you dock okay?” He switched back to Russian in hopes that the man might have some common language with Viktor but he was still having no luck. The man, however, did take the hint to be quiet, and allowed Viktor to help him to shore. It wasn’t long before they reached the shore and Viktor secured the boat to a nearby rock to make sure it didn’t float away. The man hopped off of the boat and began trying to get used to walking on land again. It seemed like he hadn’t been on solid ground for a while._

_Viktor groaned to himself. Fate was cruel to him, bringing him a vessel only for it to already have a rather angry owner. How was he supposed to find Yuuri now? It was if fate wanted to make him hopeful only to strip it away. Unless..._

_Viktor let out a short breath as he reached a sudden realization. He turned take a peek at the man to check and the soft moonlight that shone off of the man’s face only confirmed his suspicions. The man who owned the boat was none other than Yuuri. Boy, fate did have a way of messing with him._

_It did make his life a whole lot easier though, now he didn’t have to go across the ocean to find Yuuri, he had been placed right into Viktor’s lap. All he needed to do was kiss him and make him remember and they could finally have their happily ever after._

_He turned back to Yuuri, who had plopped down on a rock in exhaustion. He was rather skinny, and Viktor figured he must have been on the water for a long time. Viktor ran to his bag and pulled out all of the food he could find inside. There wasn’t much, just some dried beef and stale crackers. Yuuri seemed to perk up at the sight of food and he got up off of his rock and joined Viktor by his stuff. Viktor held out some dried beef to Yuuri. He snatched it and began devouring it hungrily._

_“You haven’t eaten in a while have you?” Viktor laughed. Yuuri threw him a menacing glance at Viktor’s laughter, but then resigned himself back to the beef._

_Viktor began to think. This was the first time they had met up with a language barrier this bad. All of the previous times, Yuuri had at least a basic understanding of English or there was someone there to help translate. Yuuri had tried to teach him a bit of Japanese previously, but Viktor couldn’t remember much. It was all he had though; maybe he could make it work._

_Or he could just kiss Yuuri then and there, which would make him remember the Russian that Viktor had taught him as well as the English he already knew in his previous lives and they would be fine. Yuuri was always the better one with languages anyways. But one glance at the frail, starving Yuuri in front of him and Viktor knew that wasn’t an option at the moment, not while he was finally getting to eat._

_So Viktor resigned to trying out his Japanese, “How get here?” he managed to piece together._

_Yuuri looked surprised at Viktor’s efforts to speak Japanese and began to respond rather quickly but Viktor had to stop him._

_“Please slow,” Viktor said. Yuuri understood and began to speak more slowly. Luckily, Viktor was better at interpreting Japanese than speaking it so he at least could get the gist of Yuuri’s story. Yuuri had been fishing off of the coast of Japan and he was having terrible luck. He couldn’t manage to get all of the fish he needed that day, so he decided to go a bit deeper than normal in hopes that the fish had just traveled further from the coast. He was also alone, because his usual partner had gotten sick. A freak storm had then sprung up and pushed him into the middle of the ocean, and by the time it had ceased he was completely disoriented and didn’t know the way home. He drifted for weeks, eating only what fish he could manage to catch and eating them raw. He only had the small amount of water that had gotten caught in the boat when it had stormed to drink, which he had then placed in whatever containers he could to keep it from evaporating. When he finally spotted land, he immediately headed for it, and he ended up right here._

_Viktor was shocked. He couldn’t believe that Yuuri had survived a journey like that. He was less prepared than Viktor would have been if he had taken the same boat to Japan like he had planned. Viktor then dug in his pouch to find his small water pouch. There wasn’t much left, but he gave it to Yuuri as well. Yuuri seemed very grateful as he downed it all._

_After Yuuri finished, Viktor was then struck with the dilemma of what to do next. He couldn’t take Yuuri into the town because he looked too much like the Chinese. Viktor knew that was a bit rude and superficial, but it was true. The soldiers would suspect any Asian looking people, but especially those without any identifying documents or even just a passport. He also wasn’t about to suggest traveling to Japan after Yuuri had just spent hellish weeks drifting at sea. Viktor was stuck. He had no ideas and absolutely no clue what to do next. He needed help._

_Yuuri finished up his meal and turned to Viktor gratefully. He seemed to be trying to express his immense gratitude to Viktor, but he started talking too fast and Viktor couldn’t understand him. Viktor prepared himself. It was now or never, he had to make Yuuri remember. He couldn’t figure out what to do next without him._

_Viktor put a finger up to Yuuri’s mouth to silence him, making Yuuri jump backwards a bit in surprise. Viktor then grabbed Yuuri by the shoulders and started leaning in towards his lips. He had just closed his eyes when he felt himself being shoved backwards and he tumbled onto the ground. He fell right on his butt again just as Yuuri began screaming at him in Japanese. Viktor couldn’t catch what he was saying, but Yuuri seemed absolutely shocked and furious at his actions. Then, before Viktor could even get up, Yuuri took off running._

_“Wait,” Viktor called after him in Japanese, “I can explain.” Viktor got up off of the ground and started chasing after Yuuri. He couldn’t let Yuuri run into the town where the soldiers might find him. He doubted Yuuri even realized that the Soviets were at war with the Chinese, especially considering that he had been at sea for a while._

_Yuuri began trying to scale the cliff face to get away. Boy, was he a fast climber. Viktor started scrambling up after him, desperately trying to explain everything in his broken Japanese._

_“Listen, we’re together. Many times in past. I kiss, you remember. Please listen,” Viktor was pleading with Yuuri but Yuuri was having none of it. He kept climbing up the side of the rock. Viktor supposed that Yuuri hoped Viktor would give up trying to climb up after him, but Viktor wasn’t about to stop any time soon._

_They kept climbing higher and higher and Viktor was surprised that Yuuri had this much strength in him after his journey, but he supposed adrenaline worked wonders. Not to mention Yuuri had just eaten. Viktor wondered if Yuuri had practiced climbing before, because he was rather fast. Faster than Viktor at least, and the gap between then began to widen further as Viktor fell behind._

_Suddenly, Viktor saw Yuuri’s foot slip above him and Yuuri began dangling by his hands. His legs were flailing in the air desperately trying to find a grip._

_“Hang on, I come!” Viktor started scrambling up the cliff faster. He knew they weren’t quite high enough up to reach terminal velocity if they fell, but with all of the various rocks below, it was very likely that they would bash their heads or break their necks. Viktor didn’t like those chances._

_As Viktor got closer, Yuuri became more and more agitated and began thrashing even more. Viktor kept trying to reassure Yuuri that he was just trying to help, but Yuuri didn’t seem to believe him. Was Viktor getting his words wrong? It had been so long since he needed to use Japanese, he could be saying the wrong thing._

_Viktor eventually reached a point where he was just below Yuuri, but he couldn’t progress any further because Yuuri kept trying to kick him off. Viktor figured that his current best course of action would be trying to catch one of Yuuri’s legs and helping it find a grip. He peeled one of his hands from its grip on the rock and began trying to grab one of Yuuri’s flailing legs, but his efforts just made Yuuri struggle harder._

_“I try to help,” Viktor said but Yuuri was having none of it. He continued to kick and thrash and struggle until he simply could not hold on to the cliff any longer._

_Yuuri fell off of the cliff face right onto Viktor, knocking the both of them down. In the few moments they were suspended in the air, Viktor said a silent prayer that they would both hit a sandy part of the bottom. But his words must have fallen on deaf ears, as they both hit the rocks with a sickening crunch of bone._

* * *

 

Viktor woke with a rather awful crick in his neck. It had been a long time since he had slept on the floor. Makkachin was still sleeping beside him since he was more used to the floor than Viktor. Before getting ready for the day, Viktor took a moment to look out the window at the sunrise. He knew that this day would be a new beginning for him, another chance to get things right. Even if Yuuri didn’t realize it yet, Viktor was going to succeed this time, and they would get their happy ending one way or another. He was tired of messing things up, and he was going to start this new beginning by doing what Yuuri had asked him to do. He was going to help Yuuri achieve his dreams of a Grand Prix Final gold medal. Then, finally, Viktor could make things right.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact: On January 23rd, 1928, the Soviets gave the Japanese the right to fish in the waters of the Pacific Ocean adjacent to the Soviet coast line. My explanation for why Yuuri was out that far in the first place. Although, he would have been a real trooper, making a journey like that, but things like that have been done before. I should probably also note that Yuuri remembers all of their lives when kissed, regardless of whether he was kissed in that life, so Yuuri will be able to remember this life in their next lives even though he was not kissed in this one. Sorry for the angst, but it had to be done. Besides, I tend to write angst better than fluff anyways. I’m fairly certain this will be the most angsty chapter though.
> 
> This chapter was definitely not my best because I was struggling to find a good event to use for this time period. There were a couple of years where I struggled to come up with some historical event to use and this was one of those so I did the best I could. Also I cringed probably as much as you did when writing the part where Viktor forced himself onto Yuuri. I wasn’t a fan of that bit but I needed it for the plot. At least Viktor learned his lesson. He didn’t really see what he was doing as wrong, since he had kissed Yuuri multiple times in the past, and in his last life he had pretty much forcibly kissed Yuuri as well. It was just to make Yuuri remember.


	4. 1888, their second reincarnation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Congratulations, you made it through the angst! I swear this chapter is not as bad. I had to do the angst last chapter and for that I’m sorry. This chapter won’t be near as bad. I really tried to make it a bit fluffier for you guys. Also, you know how I mentioned that for a couple of the time periods I was struggling to find events that would work? Yeah, this is the other one. Nothing happened during this period and I couldn’t afford to move the date without interfering with the plans I already had for their other lives. The Russian Tsar during this time (Alexander the Third) was literally called “The Peacemaker,” so there weren’t any major conflicts or anything. Oh well, I tried my best to make it work.
> 
> Also in this flashback Yuuri and Viktor are both in their mid-teens so they’re small babes. Hope y’all like.  
> Sorry this chapter took so long to get done; I had holiday stuff to deal with plus this chapter is much longer than any of the others have been so far. Hopefully that makes up for it a bit.

Viktor couldn’t believe that punk Yuri that he’d used to train with had shown up all the way in Japan. He was now threatening to take Viktor back to Russia, which would also take Viktor from Yuuri. As much as Viktor hated it though, Yuri did have a point. Viktor had promised to choreograph a routine for him all of those years ago, and Viktor was not one to go back on his word. Luckily, Viktor had managed to think fast and set up the Hot Springs on Ice event to both fill his promise to the Russian Yuri and give the Japanese Yuuri a chance to keep Viktor here. Viktor knew it was risky, but he didn’t have much of a choice. He had to have faith that Yuuri could pull it off.

Yuuri was determined to win at least, even if he said his eros was that of a pork cutlet bowl. That had surprised Viktor quite a bit. He would be lying if he said that he was not hoping that Yuuri would say Viktor was the source of his eros, but that boy was always full of surprises. After Yuuri had said that, Viktor was tempted to just kiss him then and there to make him remember, but he decided against it. Even if Yuuri couldn’t see it, Viktor had faith that Yuuri would dig down deep and find his true eros. Besides, Yuuri was overflowing with that sort of appeal. Viktor had seen it himself at the banquet last year. It was only a matter of time before Yuuri figured it all out.

 

* * *

_“But Papa, I don’t want to go.”_

_“I cannot just leave you here alone Vitya.”_

_“Then don’t go!” Viktor exclaimed, his face red with emotion and cold._

_“I have to Vitya. I have business to attend to. Now finish packing, we’re leaving soon,” Viktor’s father remarked sternly. He then turned and left the room._

_Viktor sunk to the floor, stunned. His father’s trading ship was leaving in just a few hours, and for the first time, Viktor did not want to go with him. Ever since his mom had died of illness a few years ago, Viktor’s father had started taking him on his business excursions since he didn’t want to leave Viktor on his own in Russia. Viktor actually quite enjoyed seeing the world. He had gotten to visit countries on three different continents and experienced many more different cultures than the average kid. He had eaten strange foods and watched vibrant ceremonies for religions he didn’t even understand. But this journey was going to the one place that Viktor never wanted to go to again. He had nightmarish memories of Japan and of what had happened there to him and his friend._

_Except they weren’t really friends were they? Viktor could tell they had been something more, but then something happened. Some of the details were still a bit blurred in his mind. By this point, Viktor had realized that he had lived a different life in the past, and something terrible had happened to both him and his friend and then he was born into a new life._

_Viktor couldn’t stand to go back to Japan, but he couldn’t exactly explain why he felt that way to his father either. What was he going to say? “I have horrible memories of a life in Japan because I was somehow reincarnated from my past life as your son and I don’t want to go there because it will remind me of what happened and I’m not sure I want to remember the details.” That talk of reincarnation wouldn’t exactly fly with his devoutly Russian Orthodox father._

_Viktor basically had no choice but to learn to cope with going on the ridiculously long voyage to Japan. Of course, they weren’t just going to Japan. They were going to make quite a few stops along the way, for trading and also for restocking supplies. They were launching from St. Petersburg, which means they had to go through the Baltic Sea, then go around most of Europe to get to the Strait of Gibraltar, cross the Mediterranean to get to the Suez Canal, then go through the Red Sea into the Indian Ocean, and finally round the southeastern part of Asia and land in Japan. All in all, the trip would take many months with all of the stops along the way, and Viktor would be fifteen by the time they got there. But his father was dead set on reaching Japan, as he had heard there were many rare goods that would do well on the European marketplaces. He wanted no less than a small fortune so that he could retire early to raise Viktor, or at least enough money so that he didn’t have to sail for a while._

_“Vitya, it’s time to go,” Viktor’s father called from outside. Viktor let out a light huff and grabbed his bags. Before he went out the door, however, he took one last look at his faithful room and his sturdy, old bed in the corner. He got the feeling he wouldn’t be back here for a very long time._

_“Let’s go Vitya,” his father yelled impatiently._

_“Coming,” Viktor yelled back. He turned and walked out the door, leading him one step further to Japan._

_“Land, captain! There’s land on the starboard side,” a crewman yelled._

_Viktor, along with the rest of the crew, ran immediately to the right side of the boat. Sure enough, there were the telltale dark bumps of land in the distance. Viktor could feel his heart rate start accelerating and his knees began to feel a bit wobbly. After a year and a half at sea, they had finally reached the place Viktor had been dreading all along, Japan._

_He had managed to push it out of his mind for most of the voyage, especially towards the beginning. He focused on the day to day, rather than the destination. However, as they began drawing closer it became inevitable, and he began to think more and more about it. As a result, he started having more memories return. He knew now that the person he knew in Japan in his last life had been much more than a friend, and that Viktor had deep feelings for the man. It had been quite the surprise for Viktor at first, realizing that he had been in love with a man, but as time went on it just felt right. However, no matter how hard he tried, Viktor still couldn’t remember his lover’s name. That was the one hole in his memory that he still hadn’t filled, and it was driving him crazy._

_“Isn’t it wonderful Vitya?” Viktor’s father came up from behind him and wrapped an arm around Viktor’s shoulder, “We finally made it.”_

_“Yeah sure, it’s definitely something,” Viktor still had not told his father the reasoning behind his apprehension towards Japan, and he never intended to._

_A few hours later they were docked in the port. Viktor’s father and the crew began unloading some of the wares they had brought with them and began setting them up for trading. Viktor didn’t think he could bear to handle the monotonous work that was unloading the cargo with his heart racing this fast, so when no one was looking he slipped off of the boat and onto the docks. He snuck away quickly from the ship and soon enough he was on his own._

_He-he recognized this place. Oh god, he knew this town. It was a bit different, yes, but one would expect it to be different after about fifteen years. That tree was the same though, but those buildings had changed a bit. It looks like they had finally fixed the huge hole in that section of the road. There were new people, but also some faces actually looked familiar, if not older. The street plan hadn’t changed however, and Viktor found his feet carrying him from place to place with little communication with his brain. Everything was a blur as his eyes were focused on the environment around him, while his legs were subconsciously taking him down a path he had taken multiple times before._

_When Viktor came to his senses, he found himself at the front of a Shinto shrine. There was a small sort of pool on the side and Viktor found himself subliminally performing a ritual he hadn’t done in over fifteen years in order to enter._

_First, he bowed before entering the gates. Then, he walked over to the basin of water and performed the cleansing ritual of temizu, which involved rinsing his hands and mouth. After he replaced the ladle, he bowed twice, clapped twice, and then bowed one more for a longer period of time before he started to walk down the dusty path to the main shrine. The road was old and worn from generations of use, but yet still oddly familiar to Viktor. Before he reached the shrine, he came upon a tall, wooden fence-like contraption that was covered in small wooden plaques that were hanging on hooks by strings. Each one had hand-painted artwork on it along with some Japanese words that Viktor couldn’t read. He stopped for a moment to take a look at them. All of them were exquisitely designed. Some had pictures of animals, and others had scenery such as flowers or trees. There had to be hundreds of them on that one wall._

_“What are you doing here?” a voice boomed from behind Viktor, causing him to jump in surprise. Viktor turned to see an older Japanese man with graying hair in priest’s clothes with a stern look on his face._

_“You speak English?” Viktor asked shakily._

_“Of course I do, now answer my question. What are you doing here?” the priest demanded._

_“I-I don’t know, my father’s ship was docked in port and I just wandered around a bit and ended up here,” Viktor replied._

_Suddenly, the man’s expression softened a bit, “How old are you boy?” he asked._

_“I’m fifteen sir,” Viktor said._

_“Ah of course, how silly of me. You couldn’t have-,” the man paused for a sec, “Nevermind that. My apologies for scaring you, young one. My manners seemed to have disappeared. Can I get you something to drink?”_

_“I, uh, sure thank you,” Viktor said._

_The man led him towards a small hut a ways off from the main path. Viktor assumed he must live there. When they reached the hut, they both took off their shoes before entering. Then, the man led Viktor inside. They sat down on mats on either side of a low table._

_“Sorry about my rudeness, I thought you were someone else. We don’t get many visitors to the shrine with your colors,” the priest said._

_“My colors?” Viktor asked._

_“Your hair and eyes, well more the eyes than the hair, but either way the combination of the two is rather striking,” the man said, “My eyesight is not nearly what it used to be but I can still make out the blending colors that make up people. Your colors are very beautiful.”_

_“Uh, thank you sir,” Viktor said rather abashedly._

_“Oh! You haven’t yet told me your name,” the man said in an inquiring tone._

_“It’s Viktor sir, Viktor Nikiforov,” Viktor replied._

_“Nikiforov?” the man had a quick look of realization dawn on his face before it was replaced once more with his cheery disposition, “Oh goodness, I forgot to get you a drink.” The man pulled out a little bell and rang it three times. A minute or two later, a short boy about Viktor’s age ran in and immediately bowed to the priest. They began speaking rapid Japanese that Viktor couldn’t understand and then soon enough the boy ran out._

_“Who was that?” Viktor asked the priest._

_“Oh that?” the priest smiled, “That was my adopted son, Yuuri. His parents both died when he was very young so I brought him here to live with me.”_

_“He just, looked familiar somehow,” Viktor said._

_“I would expect he might,” the man chuckled._

_“What does that mean?” Viktor asked._

_“Nothing dear boy, nothing at all,” he said. Viktor was rather confused by this point. He had the feeling the old man knew much more than he let on._

_Yuuri returned with a pitcher of water and a couple of simple cups and laid them on the table with a bow. He turned to leave but the priest said a couple words in Japanese and Yuuri reluctantly came back and sat down at the table with them._

_“So, Viktor, what exactly do you remember?” the priest asked._

_“What do you mean?” Viktor inquired in return._

_“I mean, what do you remember of this place? You have obviously been here before somehow. I saw you perform the entrance rituals perfectly. Few foreigners know how to do that correctly. Not to mention, you recognized Yuuri,” the priest explained._

_Yuuri perked up at the mention of his name, but did not seem to understand much else of their conversation._

_Viktor paused for a moment before responding, “Well, it might sound crazy, but I think that I lived another life before this one, and that some time during that life I ended up here. I don’t remember exactly how and what happened to me other than something bad happened and I-I died.”_

_The priest chucked, “Just what I thought. Hold on for a moment please Viktor.”_

_The man turned and began speaking to Yuuri in Japanese. Viktor tried to see if he could understand any of the words they were saying, but other than his name, he could not._

_They finished speaking and the priest turned back to Viktor._

_“He says he doesn’t remember you or any of the events of your past life at all,” the man said, “I’m rather surprised, considering you remember him. I would have figured it would go both ways.”_

_“Well, I didn’t remember everything at once either. It took years, and still there are some bits that are rather fuzzy.” Viktor replied._

_“I would expect so. Your first reincarnation has got to be rather confusing, but Yuuri has absolutely no even blurred memories of a past life. I don’t believe he has any.”_

_“But how did this happen?” Viktor asked, “How did we end up like this, and why does Yuuri not remember anything?”_

_“You will have to figure out what happened for yourself. As for why Yuuri doesn’t remember, I don’t know. However, I would theorize it might be possible to jog his memory through a sharp mental jar.”_

_“Like an electric shock?” Viktor asked._

_“No, more like a surprise,” the priest said._

_From the side, Yuuri let out a small cough. He seemed a bit irritated to not know what was going on, but also that he didn’t want to be seen as rude._

_“Pardon me once more Viktor, I need to be sure to fill in Yuuri,” the priest said._

_“It’s fine, but do you mind if I have a look around the grounds for a bit? I want to see how much I remember.” Viktor asked._

_“Of course, go ahead,” the priest said. Viktor rose from the table and gave him a respectful bow before leaving the hut. He grabbed his shoes from outside the building and slid them back on. He then headed back towards the main path that he had used to enter. There were quite a few trees on the shrine grounds. It almost seemed like a small forest of its own, guarded by a wall around the premises. It was solitary and rather peaceful. A soft breeze ruffled the leaves a bit, and it was if the trees were whispering to Viktor, trying to tell him of the life he knew before._

_Ever since he got here, many of his memories had begun to clear up quite a bit. A few more days or so in Japan, and Viktor was sure that he would finally remember everything. He wasn’t sure if he was ready for that, or even if he wanted it. He didn’t want to remember how he died or any other horrible things that may have happened to him while he was in Japan in his last life. On the other hand, it might be worth it to remember Yuuri better. At this age, Viktor still did not fully comprehend the concept of love and the value it has, but he got the feeling it was rather important, at least it was to his last life._

_Viktor suddenly heard a crackling of leaves behind him. He turned to see Yuuri, looking rather ashamed for being there. Viktor wanted to convey to him that it wasn’t a big deal to be sneaking up behind him, but yet their language barrier prohibited it. Instead, Viktor rested a hand on Yuuri’s shoulder in reassurance. Yuuri perked up a bit, and returned the gesture, causing Viktor to smile. Viktor could really start to tell how important this boy had been to him in their last life together._

_A soft touch near his face jostled Viktor out of his thoughts. Yuuri was pawing at Viktor’s hair curiously. Viktor got the feeling Yuuri had never seen hair of this color before on a young man, at least not that he remembered. Viktor found it rather endearing, which also confused him a bit. He wasn’t used to having these sorts of feelings and it was throwing him off._

_Viktor gave Yuuri a friendly smile which caused Yuuri to back off a bit timidly. Viktor then carefully grabbed Yuuri’s hand and placed it back on his head, conveying the message that Viktor was indeed granting Yuuri permission to touch his hair. Yuuri’s eyes seemed to sparkle as he pawed through Viktor’s hair. Viktor thought it was rather adorable, the look of innocent astonishment on Yuuri’s face. Yuuri seemed to find Viktor’s hair absolutely astounding, which made Viktor feel some sort of pride. He supposed that he found it rather fun to surprise Yuuri._

_Right at that very moment, everything seemed to hit Viktor like a ton of bricks. He felt a sharp twist in his gut as all of his memories came flooding back and he suddenly remembered everything, from how they met to how they died and everything in between. The magnitude of all of the realizations proved to be a bit much for Viktor and he collapsed to the ground, causing Yuuri to begin running around frantically and panicking. Viktor wanted to reassure Yuuri, but nothing seemed to be able to come out of his mouth right now other than a strangled cry and he could barely move his limbs. Viktor hardly even noticed when Yuuri ran to get help and came back with the priest a few seconds later._

_“Viktor, are you alright?” the priest asked._

_“I remember,” said Viktor, “I remember everything now, oh my god.”_

_“Alright easy now Viktor, let’s get you back on your feet.” The priest and Yuuri helped lift Viktor back upright, but Viktor wobbled a bit and fell right onto Yuuri, who managed to catch him. Yuuri had the same look of shame that he had earlier, and Viktor once again placed a hand on his shoulder to reassure him._

_“As much as I hate to ruin this moment, I have something I need to ask you Viktor, for Yuuri’s eyesight is almost as bad as mine,” the priest said._

_“Yes?” Viktor asked, rather confused._

_The priest lifted a finger upwards and asked, “What’s that grey area of the clouds on the horizon? It seems unnatural.”_

_Viktor took a look upwards to spy large amounts of dark grey smoke billowing up from the direction of the harbor. It curled up into the sky, and it did not look as if it were going to stop any time soon._

_“It’s smoke sir, coming from the harbor,” Viktor said worriedly, more crippling realizations dawning upon him, “I have to go.”_

_“You can’t be serious about running towards a fire?” the priest said incredulously._

_“I have to, my father is down there,” Viktor turned and ran without waiting for the priest’s response. His mind was too blurred to even remember if there was an exiting ritual but by this point Viktor didn’t care. He had to make sure his father was alright and out of the way of the fire. Despite their differences, his father was the only family Viktor had left._

_Viktor once again heard a crackling of leaves behind him. He stopped and turned to find that Yuuri had followed him from the shrine._

_“Go back,” Viktor said, gesturing to the shrine and hoping that Yuuri would understand, “It’s too dangerous.” But Yuuri merely stepped one foot closer, defiantly showing Viktor that he was not planning on going back any time soon. Viktor didn’t have time to argue so he simply took off running again. He ran as fast as he could, hoping to shake Yuuri off of his tail to encourage him to turn around but it was to no avail. It seemed that Yuuri was rather speedy._

_When they arrived at the harbor, Viktor found that the scene was much worse than he had anticipated. The good news was that the fire had not spread onto the land in the town, however, that was because the sole source of the smoke they had seen was Viktor’s father’s boat, which was now covered in flames from every angle._

_Viktor sprinted to the boat, passing many of his father’s crewmen along the way. Many were coughing while others were supporting each other in order to walk. Some were a bit bloody and others had burns up and down their skin. Viktor checked all of their faces, but not a single one was that of his father._

_“Where is my father?” Viktor asked each and every one, “Where is my papa?” But none of them could give him an answer, other than Alexei, his father’s first mate._

_“He’s still on board,” Alexei had said while leaning over a barrel and seemingly coughing up a lung, “He was in the captain’s office last I saw him.”_

_Viktor turned to run onto the ship but Alexei grabbed his arm._

_“Viktor, no,” he said, “It’s suicide.”_

_“I don’t care,” Viktor retorted, “I have to try. He’s all I have left.” Viktor roughly shook his arm out from Alexei’s grasp and ran up the bridge onto the ship. A soft patter of feet behind him told him that Yuuri was still following him._

_“Go back, I said,” Viktor yelled at Yuuri, “Go back!”_

_But Yuuri seemed to be rather stubborn and persistent and he kept moving along with Viktor. Together they ran onto the deck of the ship, which was almost completely covered in flames. Viktor then took off his shirt and held it to his mouth to breathe through and gestured for Yuuri to do the same. It would have been better if the cloth was wet, but they didn’t really have time to deal with that now._

_Viktor headed for the stairs that led down deeper into the ship, but they were almost completely covered in flames as well and he couldn’t get through. Not wanting to give up, Viktor backed up to take a running start through the entrance. He waited for a moment where the flames were just a bit lower before sprinting through the fire and onto the stairs. He luckily managed to land in a spot less covered in fire, however, he landed on his ankle badly and seemed to have injured it a bit. Viktor didn’t think it was broken, but every time he took a step, sharp pain would flare up in his ankle. He also had burns along various parts of his body, which made every movement he made painful as well, but he still refused to give up._

_The rest of the stairs weren’t as covered in fire, so Viktor was able to navigate them easily enough, dodging the spots that were inflamed. A few seconds later, a soft thump of a landing behind him told Viktor that Yuuri had followed him again. Viktor couldn’t believe it. This kid would not give up. Viktor kept moving and Yuuri kept following until they finally reached the captain’s office._

_The door was covered in flames so Viktor knocked it down with a single well-placed kick. They entered the office to see that it was bathed in fire. Viktor thought the fire must have started here for the flames to be this bad. Viktor heard a soft groan in the corner and he navigated his way around the table to spy his father on the ground with a large chest on top of his leg. His father was struggling to get the heavy chest off of his leg, but nothing seemed to have been working._

_Suddenly, Viktor’s father spotted him, “Vitya! What are you doing here? Get off the ship now!”_

_“Not without you,” Viktor replied. He gestured to Yuuri to help him lift the chest up. They both took a deep breath, shoved their shirts into their pockets, and then got on either side of the chest and began lifting. The weight of the chest caused Viktor’s ankle and burns to become excruciatingly painful, and judging by the look on Yuuri’s face, he was feeling the same. They managed to lift it up just enough for Viktor’s father to get his leg free. Yuuri and Viktor helped the man to his feet and they all began quickly moving towards the exit._

_The corridor was narrow, and they could only walk in single file so Viktor’s father went first so he feel out a path for the boys, Viktor went behind him, and Yuuri trailed after Viktor. They had made it all the way to the steps when they heard a sharp crack. A few seconds later, a giant, flaming part of the mast crashed down through the ceiling and fell between Viktor and his father. Viktor jumped backwards, crashing into Yuuri and sending them both tumbling down the stairs._

_“Vitya!” Viktor heard his father cry. Viktor and Yuuri both slowly got to their feet and then ran back up the stairs as fast as they could with their injuries, only to find that the path upwards was completely blocked off by the piece of fallen mast. They made futile attempts to move the piece of wood but it refused to be dislodged. Viktor then came to the realization that there was no way they were getting out of this._

_“Father, it’s not going to move, it’s pointless to keep trying. Save yourself,” Viktor shouted._

_“I’m not going to leave you Vitya,” his father replied._

_“You have to, or else you’ll die too and all of this would have been in vain. Don’t make our efforts to save you completely futile. Let us at least die knowing that we saved you,” Viktor screamed, desperately hoping that his father would listen._

_There was a moment of silence before Viktor’s father replied, “I love you Vitya.”_

_“I love you too Papa, now go and live okay? We’ll find each other again somehow, I’m sure of it,” Viktor said with tears streaming down his face._

_After Viktor was sure that his father had left, he turned to Yuuri._

_“Look at this, you followed me here and now you’re going to die with me. Why would you do that? Why would you risk your life for someone you barely know?” Viktor knew Yuuri couldn’t understand him, but he didn’t care._

_Yuuri then wrapped his arms around Viktor in a reassuring hug. It surprised Viktor at first, but then he softened and returned the hug. He had just fully remembered Yuuri, and exactly how much he had loved him, and he didn’t even get the chance to show it. Viktor could only hope that after this they might reincarnate again and have another chance. Viktor didn’t understand how, but it was as if they were destined to be together sometime eventually. They just needed to keep trying until they got their happy ending._

_Viktor pulled away a bit from Yuuri’s grasp just to look at his face one last time. Yuuri’s eyes were quite red with tears as well and his lip was trembling a bit. He seemed like he was rather scared of their inevitable death. An overwhelming urge to protect Yuuri flared up inside of Viktor, but yet there was nothing he could do to save them from this fate._

_Viktor gently cupped Yuuri’s cheek with his hand, “Oh Yuuri, I’m so sorry. I can’t protect you. I can’t even tell you how much I love you.” Viktor’s face scrunched up as he began to cry harder. He wasn’t ready to die. There were too many things that he still wanted to do._

_By this point, all Viktor really wanted any more was Yuuri to know how much he loved him. Their language barrier prohibited Viktor from expressing it through words, so Viktor knew he would have to convey it through actions._

_Viktor pulled Yuuri’s face towards his own, their lips colliding. Viktor could tell from Yuuri’s stiffness that he was shocked by Viktor’s action. Then suddenly, Yuuri melted and began returning the kiss, which in turn surprised Viktor. Viktor pulled away, a look of confusion on his face._

_“Viktor, I-I remember you,” Yuuri said in simple Russian, “We met before,”_

_“Yes!” Viktor cried joyfully, “You remember! You remember our last life! That bit of Russian I taught you seems to have paid off.”_

_Yuuri crossed his arms, “And I taught you some Japanese, why didn’t you remember that?”_

_Viktor looked incredulously at Yuuri, “After all of this, that’s what you’re mad about? And I did remember some, but you guys talked too fast and I couldn’t keep up.”_

_“I see,” Yuuri said, “Well what now? We only have a few minutes left.”_

_Viktor grabbed Yuuri into a tight hug, and rested his head on Yuuri’s shoulder, “I just want to spend my last moments holding you.”_

_They both settled onto the ground, holding tightly to each other. The flames roared on around them, but each boy felt safe in the other’s arms. Together, they clung to each other and waited for death to take them to their next life, and their next chance._

* * *

 

Yuuri had done it. He had pulled through and managed to find his eros and give an exquisite performance at the Hot Springs on Ice event. Viktor was relieved; he did not want to have to leave Yuuri and go back to Russia. He didn’t see where the Russian Yuri had gone, but he assumed that Yuri had realized that the Japanese Yuuri had won and left. He knew Yuri would go back to train under Yakov, and they would all be seeing each other again fairly soon.

As Viktor stood on the makeshift podium on the ice with the crowd cheering and with his hands clutching Yuuri, he felt a great sense of pride. In the couple of weeks Viktor had been here, Yuuri had already grown so much. He was going to help Yuuri discover his full potential, and then he was going to make him remember. Then they would finally get their happy ending.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so I’m figuring Viktor’s memories were especially blurry this time due to a combination of this being their first reincarnation and he was still pretty young. @the person who asked about how Viktor remembers, I’m thinking now that he always has an innate sense of who he is and he and Yuuri’s reincarnation patterns, but the more detailed memories of how everything happened in each past life develop with age and he fully remembers everything some time in his mid to late teens.
> 
> Also yes, Viktor’s name stays the same throughout each life. It’s just easier that way.
> 
> So another reason this update took so long was because I had to do so much research on Shinto to not mess it up. It’s different than just a time period because Shinto is a religion that is even still practiced today and I really wanted to make sure I got it right. I still don’t know if it’s 100% accurate so if I did mess something up let me know.


	5. 1987, "Perestroika and Glasnost"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Note* AO3 messed up somehow and I had to delete this chapter and reupload it so sorry if any confusion happened.
> 
> This chapter took for fucking ever to write because I got about 3,800 words in, realized that half of it was boring af expositional stuff, and then rewrote/changed like half of it before continuing. Not to mention it's my longest chapter yet...(they just keep getting longer idk why)
> 
> I used to struggle with making a chapter long enough, and now I’m struggling with making it too long. Ugggg.
> 
> The next update might take a bit because I have finals next week but after finals week I have a four day weekend so I’m hoping to get a chapter done then. And then it’s my birthday woo! Anyways, I’m hoping to have this fic completely finished before February so that’s my new goal. Then, I might start another fic right away or I might take a break for a bit. I’m not sure yet, it will probably depend on whether or not I have an idea that I like. I’m tossing around a couple of ideas for another Viktuuri fic, one for a sort of royalty au and another for a very different sort of soulmate au (since that type of au is really clogged with a lot of very similar fics I want to try and take it in a somewhat different direction). I dunno yet so we’ll see. Anyways without further ado enjoy the chapter!

Viktor couldn't believe that after all of this time, Yuuri could still surprise him. First he had told Viktor that he had once tried to produce his own free program, then he refused any of the roles Viktor had offered to be for him, stating that he wanted rather for Viktor to be himself, and finally he said that his theme for his free program would be “on his love," which just made Viktor want to melt right then and there. With every action, every word that Yuuri said, Viktor fell even more in love with him, but he was hesitant to show it because he didn’t want to scare Yuuri off. He knew he needed to be delicate with Yuuri after Yuuri had spurned his early advances. That still confused Viktor a bit, but he chalked it up to another of Yuuri’s surprises. Despite spending six previous lifetimes chasing after the man, Yuuri still found ways to catch Viktor off guard.

 

* * *

 

_Perestroika and glasnost._

_That was the theme of the Soviet Union’s new program for reforming the country. It was the brainchild of the new General Secretary of the Soviet Union, Mikhail Gorbachev, who had taken over after the death of General Secretary Chernenko in 1985. Gorbachev had realized upon taking the position that the country was struggling greatly. The economy was down and the citizens were suffering from a lack of freedom and horrible living conditions. His new policy called for perestroika, or restructuring, and glasnost, or openness. The restructuring part referred to removing many of the more old-fashioned Soviet leaders from power and reforming the economy. The openness part of the reforms referred to easing up on the government’s societal controls over its citizens. But another part of the program included increasing and improving relations with foreign countries, as the USSR had some rather rocky relationships with many countries. The Cold War with the United States was a major testament to that fact._

_However, the United States was not the only country to have a troubled relationship with the USSR. And while the more Western countries were a focal point for the Soviet Union’s improving relations, the government called for increasing relationships in Asia as well._

_This is one of the reasons why Viktor was currently on a plane headed to Tokyo, Japan. He had decided to try something new this life and study political science in an effort to get to move up the ranks in the Communist party and work as a diplomat. It gave him more freedoms in some regards, such as the ability to more easily leave the country, but it also restricted him in others, as he was constantly monitored. But he supposed all Soviet citizens were monitored anyways, so he was willing to work for the government for the little bit of added freedom. In his past lives, the monitoring hadn’t been quite as bad, but with new technologies came more ways the USSR could keep an eye its citizens._

_When this new “perestroika and glasnost” program had started, Viktor had requested to be a part of the diplomatic group to Japan for obvious reasons. The government was in process of removing some of the older ambassadors and replacing them with new ones who were younger and shared more of the same ideas as General Secretary Gorbachev, and luckily Viktor fit the bill. He wasn’t sure if they would honor his request for a specific country, so he was surprised when they did. He supposed not many wanted the job. He had also mentioned that he knew a bit of Japanese too so that might have helped, but he did not tell them that his Japanese was rusty and possibly even outdated a bit. Either way, this job gave him a chance to attempt to find Yuuri that would have been near impossible otherwise considering the current state of his country._

_Going to Japan was really the only chance Viktor had in finding Yuuri currently. Viktor knew that the Soviet Union would be changing soon with these new policies, but the older members of the party were still pushing back against these new guidelines so it would be a few years before they could all be fully implemented. Viktor wouldn’t be able to wait the few more years for that to happen, so he had to take matters into his own hands._

_Viktor checked his watch. It had been just over nine hours since the plane had taken off from Moscow, which meant they would be landing soon. Thank god for airplanes. This was the first time in Viktor’s multiple lives that the journey to Japan hadn’t been a huge hassle._

_Of course, Viktor wasn’t alone on the journey to Japan. There were other members of the Communist Party traveling to replace some of the old-fashioned officials at the embassy in Tokyo. The Soviet ambassador to Japan had just been replaced the year prior, but only now were some of the lesser ranks being filled. Viktor himself was a second secretary, which was a mid-level diplomatic position that Viktor had worked hard to achieve at this age. They also had some “security guards” with them but Viktor knew they were more like minders, making sure that no one stepped out of line or tried to defect from the USSR._

_A voice came over the intercom stating that they were beginning their decent into the Narita International Airport in Tokyo. The fasten seat belt sign came on and Viktor complied as he began packing up the few things he had out that had entertained him during his journey. He slid his book, his headphones, and his Walkman with a couple of tapes into his bag and zipped it up. His group would be exiting the plane first as a benefit of their official station and for security purposes. They would then be ushered into a car and taken to the Soviet embassy._

_A few minutes later they were landed on the ground. Viktor tried to hide his excitement. It had been almost a hundred years since he had been in Japan and he had never been to Tokyo before. Despite Viktor’s previous experience in the country, it would be like an entirely different world for him. He wanted to get to see everything he could, or at least everything his minders would allow him to while he had the chance._

_The fasten seat belt sign turned off and Viktor shot up from his seat, ready to leave the plane. But he got up a bit too fast, and his head started spinning and he tripped right into one of the guards._

_“Watch it!” the guard shouted angrily._

_“Sor-sorry,” Viktor said, holding a hand up to his head. The dizziness had come out of nowhere, killing much of Viktor’s enthusiasm. After the guard had passed, Viktor slowly made his way out of the plane. After the adrenaline from his initial excitement upon landing had ceased, Viktor felt more drowsy than usual and he hardly even processed grabbing his bags and getting into the vehicle heading for the embassy._

_It was about mid-afternoon, so the party was going to stop by the embassy to get acquainted with the people there and their new work environment for a couple of hours before heading to their new apartments to get settled in. While they were at the embassy, their stuff was going to be moved to their residences for them. Viktor had a headache and desperately needed a drink of water, but he hadn’t been able to get a bottle at the airport since he hadn’t had his money converted into yen yet. He swallowed some pain pills dry to see if that would help and he hoped that the embassy would have some water._

_After what seemed like forever, the car reached the embassy, and the security guards escorted them into the building. The receptionist at the desk took one look at Viktor’s group and ushered them into a meeting room, informing them that the ambassador would be meeting with them shortly. That caught Viktor by surprise, as he did not realize they would be meeting with the ambassador this soon. Everyone slowly took a seat and waited for instructions._

_Merely a few moments later the ambassador entered. He was a stout man likely in about his mid fifties. He didn’t waste any time as he sat down at the head of the table and began to speak._

_“Alright I don’t want to take much time here. I’m a busy man, and soon enough you’ll be busy too,” he said. The ambassador nodded to one of his assistants who began passing out a folder filled with papers to each member of the group Viktor arrived with._

_“These will tell you where your desks are and your first duties to perform here. It also has a few more basic guidelines such as when your lunch is and what not to do to make sure you don’t start an international crisis. I’m sure I don’t need to remind you that we are guests in this country and must act accordingly. Consider this your formal welcome to the embassy and to Japan et cetera et cetera, now go on and get to work.”_

_Everyone immediately rose from the table and hurried towards the door, eager to both get started with their new jobs and to not anger the ambassador with sluggish demeanors. Viktor was halfway to the door when he heard the ambassador speak once more._

_“Mr. Nikiforov, if you would please stay here a moment. I have one more thing I would like to discuss with you.”_

_Viktor gulped. The last thing he wanted was to be singled out on his first day. Being singled out meant they would keep an even closer eye on him. Viktor complied with the order and walked back towards the table._

_“I am told you have prior experience in the country and the culture here,” the ambassador said._

_“Yes sir, I spent about a month living in the more southern areas of the country a few years ago. During that period I spent much time studying the Japanese culture and their native religion of Shinto,” Viktor said. He purposely neglected to mention the fact that those months he had spent in the country occurred over a hundred years ago, and he hoped that his half-truth wouldn’t get him in trouble._

_The ambassador continued, “We are in the middle of some intense negotiations with the Japanese officials to increase trade between our two countries, and I would like you to assist with the task. It is a rather delicate case, so I am hoping that your experience in the Japanese culture will be useful in convincing them to sign an agreement. You will be reporting to me directly and it will take precedence over any of your jobs until we come to a resolution. I will have my assistant put helpful files about the situation on your desk for you to review before negotiations resume tomorrow. Am I understood?”_

_“Yes sir,” Viktor replied._

_“Well then you’d better get a move on if you don’t want to be up all night,” the ambassador said. Viktor took that as his dismissal and left the room. He glanced down at the paper in his hand and read that his new desk was on the second floor. He took the elevator up to the second floor, and he could immediately tell which desk was his, because it was piled high with files and papers. The ambassador wasn’t kidding when he said it could take all night._

_Viktor groaned to himself. This was the last thing he wanted upon reaching Japan. He had been hoping to skip out of work a bit early today to get to explore a bit and get to check out his new apartment but now that plan was thrown out of the window. Instead, he was going to be stuck here all night reading through these papers._

_It did indeed take hours, and most of it was rather dull. He learned that the Japanese delegation was refusing to sign a trade deal until an old land dispute over some islands between the Soviets and the Japanese was resolved, and the ambassador’s notes indicated that he hoped Viktor could come up with an idea to settle this issue for the meeting tomorrow. Viktor didn’t even finish his work in time before they needed to lock up the embassy, so Viktor grabbed the files he had left and shoved them into his case before grabbing his carry on from the plane and heading out of the door. Luckily, Viktor had been given a place in an apartment complex where most of the staff there lived, directly adjacent to the embassy, so he didn’t have a long commute._

_He had been given a key earlier that day for apartment 2B, so when he reached the apartment complex; he took the elevator up one floor to his new place. He entered to find that his luggage from the plane was sitting in the middle of the main room, along with some boxes that had been shipped from the USSR prior to Viktor’s arrival._

_Viktor was exhausted and hungry and wanted nothing more than to collapse on his bed but he couldn’t. He had work to do. He resigned himself back to his files for a few hours until he could no longer keep his eyes open. With a sigh, he set an alarm for the morning and collapsed on the couch, still dressed in his business clothes._

_Soon enough, the alarm was ringing, shaking Viktor out of his much needed slumber. Jet lagged and hungry, Viktor slowly pulled himself out of his bed and got ready for the day. After taking care of his business and getting a much needed meal, Viktor arrived at the embassy ten minutes early, making him feel a bit proud for accomplishing everything he needed to do that morning in such a short amount of time. However, his victory was short-lived, as the secretary at the desk ran out in anguish the moment she spotted Viktor._

_“There you are. You’re late for the meeting!” she hurried him along towards a conference room._

_“Late? I was told to be here at 9 am.” Viktor was confused._

_“The negotiations you were assigned to began at 8:30 this morning. Didn’t anyone tell you?” the secretary replied._

_“No, I was not informed.” Viktor could feel his heart begin to beat faster as adrenaline began pumping through his veins. What a great way to start out his job here._

_“Just blame it on jet lag,” the secretary said as she pushed him into the conference room. She closed the doors behind him, leaving Viktor standing awkwardly in the entranceway as the entire room turned to stare at him._

_“Ah here comes my assistant now,” the Soviet ambassador stated in English, his tone hinting at the frustration that was likely boiling inside of him._

_“Aha yes, my apologies. I was a bit jet lagged from the journey here yesterday,” Viktor tried his best to seem friendly and even a bit ditzy, but all he got in return was blank stares from the Japanese diplomats. Viktor let out an awkward cough as he quickly made his way to his seat._

_“Now, as I was saying...” the Soviet ambassador began a long tirade about benefits of signing the deal the USSR had proposed to the Japanese. Viktor had read all of these points last night so he found himself zoning out and sneaking a peek at the Japanese delegation. Most of them were older, about late fifties upwards to late seventies Viktor presumed. Many of their hair colors matched Viktor’s own by this point in their lives, but a few had hair in the process of graying and one of the members of the Japanese team still had a full head of dark black hair. He seemed to be the youngest person on the Japanese delegation, and he had his head bowed, furiously taking notes._

_Suddenly the young Japanese man shot his head up from his notes and Viktor inhaled sharply. Luckily, however, Viktor had gone through enough lives by this point to not completely lose his cool upon the first sight of Yuuri, but he had to admit it caught him a bit off guard. He wasn’t expecting to find him so soon and so easily. He silently thanked whatever deity was watching over him and granting him such good fortune. Fate had brought them together once more._

_Viktor suddenly felt the atmosphere around him shift dramatically and he shook himself out of his stupor only to discover that everyone in the room was staring at him once more. The Soviet ambassador was looking at him in anguish, seemingly begging Viktor to say something._

_"Go on Viktor, explain to them our position on the Kuril Islands and what we propose to do about it," the ambassador prompted._

_"Yes of course," Viktor started, trying to frantically gather his thoughts and the information he had read the day prior, "The Kuril Islands. I am aware of the fact that this has been a point of discourse among our two nations for generations, and that it is driving a wedge between these negotiations, preventing the development of a deal which has the potential to benefit both of our countries greatly. Both sides have their own opinions on who truly owns the islands and as a result there has been some miscommunications.”_

_"What exactly do you propose to fix this miscommunication?" asked one of the Japanese representatives._

_"I propose a civil chat between both of our groups. Not as enemies or even separate nations, but as friends looking to settle an argument. Both sides can openly explain their opinions and understand the other side’s view as well. It's time that both sides clear the air and correct the messes that our forefathers have left us, so that way our negotiations on the trade deal can continue unimpeded," Viktor said with confidence._

_"Well Mr. Nikiforov," one of the more elderly Japanese representatives said, “I happen to have been a part of some of the previous negotiations that contributed to this so called “mess” that you referenced.”_

_Viktor could feel horror overcoming him. He had just inadvertently insulted one of the Japanese representatives. Did he remember nothing of what he learned in college? Viktor could feel the Soviet ambassador’s angry gaze on him and he knew he was going to be in big trouble for this._

_But then the Japanese representative continued, “However, perhaps you are right. Perhaps the messes of the forefathers would best be fixed by the younger generation. If it is agreeable with everyone here, I would propose that you, Mr. Nikiforov, discuss the matter with Mr. Katsuki over here before our next meeting and come up with a proposal to benefit both parties.”_

_At the mention of his name, Yuuri’s head popped up from his notes once more and Viktor could see a slight bit of fear on his face. Viktor on the other hand was excited by the idea of getting to work on a proposal alone with Yuuri. It was an opportunity he hadn’t even dreamed of in this lifetime._

_Nods around the table signified the approval of both sides for this idea, and then the meeting adjourned for the day to allow time for Viktor and Yuuri to work on their proposal._

_Before leaving the room, the Soviet ambassador came over to Viktor._

_“You are very lucky, boy,” he said, “If you mess this up, I can promise you that you’ll be on the first plane back to Moscow tomorrow. Got it?”_

_Viktor nodded solemnly and the ambassador walked out of the conference room, leaving only Viktor and Yuuri, who was quietly looking over his notes. They had a lot of work ahead of them._

_Viktor walked over to Yuuri with a wide smile on his face._

_“Hi there! I’m Viktor Nikiforov but you can call me Viktor,” he said in English, holding his hand out friendly for Yuuri to shake._

_“Oh hi, I’m uh, Katsuki Yuuri,” Yuuri carefully shook Viktor’s hand before burying his face once more in his notes._

_Viktor stood there for a moment slightly confused. He knew they were supposed to work together on this, but Yuuri didn’t seem to be making any sort of effort to try and work with Viktor. Yuuri seemed absolutely engrossed in his notes, as if they were the only thing important to him. Or maybe he was just trying to ignore Viktor? At least Yuuri seemed somewhat fluent in English in this life, it made communication much easier. But Viktor couldn’t afford to mess up this proposal, or else he would be out of Japan and on his way back to the USSR before he could even make a move on Yuuri._

_“Well, we have a lot of work to do before the end of the day, so do you have any suggestions on how to start?” Viktor prompted, hoping for a response._

_“Um well, I just wanted to look over a few things for a minute,” Yuuri replied rather timidly before once more returning to his notes._

_Viktor sunk down into a chair next to Yuuri, “Yuuuuuri, it’s okay if I call you Yuuri right?”_

_“Not exac-“ Yuuri began to say._

_“Yuuri, did you not hear my brilliant speech?” Viktor interrupted, “We’re supposed to talk and settle a dispute older than both you and I and communication is going to be key here. Also friendship, that’s also an important factor. But I can’t do this alone; you’ve got to work with me on this,”_

_Yuuri paused for a moment, considering Viktor’s statement before responding with a more confident, “Okay.”_

_“Excellent! Now do you have any ideas to start us off with?” Viktor prompted once more._

_“I was thinking that maybe we could possibly just start out by talking about how each of our countries feels about this incident and possible repercussions of different outcomes?” Yuuri said._

_“Brilliant!” Viktor said enthusiastically. Now they were getting somewhere. “Why don’t you go first?”_

_“Uh okay,” Yuuri said, “Well you see, most of us do honor the San Francisco treaty of 1951 where we surrendered our claims to the islands, despite the Soviet Union not signing it, but we also believe that the_ _islands of Kunashiri, Etorofu, Shikotan and the Habomai rocks don’t count as a part of the treaty since they are not included in the Kuril Islands.”_

_“But what do you think about it?” Viktor asked._

_“Me?” Yuuri seemed a bit astonished, “Well I just think that the islands would be really important for us because they have a lot of natural resources that we lack and it would greatly benefit the people of this country for us to have access to those. Not to mention thousands of people have been forcibly removed from the islands by the Soviets over the years, so if Japan were to take sovereignty of the islands, we would be able to send those people and the descendants of those people home.”_

_“That was touching,” Viktor said smiling. It had been a while since he had been able to see Yuuri’s heart poured out for him. Yuuri really did care for others, even if he didn’t always show it._

_“Your turn,” Yuuri said._

_Viktor cleared his throat, “The Soviets believe that the islands are a great boon because they provide a strategic position for the Pacific naval fleet and to give up that advantage is considered unacceptable. Not to mention they believe that the islands were a bit of a prize from World War Two and they have been given to the Soviets time and time again through multiple treaties so to go back on it now would make the country look bad.”_

_“But what do you think?” Yuuri asked, copying Viktor’s response from earlier._

_“I don’t really care much to be honest. To me, it’s just a few more specks of land in the ocean, but the Soviets seem really determined to keep them.”_

_“So,” Yuuri said quietly, “Unstoppable force meets immovable object.”_

_“I suppose,” Viktor matched his tone._

_Yuuri then seemed to crawl back inside his shell a bit, returning to perusing his notes as an awkward silence settled over the room. Viktor waited a moment to see if Yuuri might do something, but Yuuri just kept reading, or at least kept pretending to read. They were getting nowhere, and if they couldn’t figure it out soon, Viktor would lose his chance with Yuuri in this life forever. He didn’t want to go back to the Soviet Union and live out the time he had left in this life just waiting for the next for another opportunity._

_Viktor was running out of time and he didn’t feel like he had any other choice but to take the direct approach. It hadn’t worked well in the past, but if he could take it slow enough, it might just work._

_“Yuuri, if we’re going to work together on this, we should get to know each other a bit better. We should be upfront with each other right?” Viktor said._

_“I guess that might help,” Yuuri replied._

_“So tell me about yourself.” Viktor said._

_“There’s not much to tell. I grew up in Kyushu, which is a region in the southern area of the country. I went to UTokyo to get my degree and then got a job in government and now I’m here.” Yuuri said._

_“There’s got to be more to you than that,” Viktor said, “Give me the juicy details. What do you do in your free time? Do you have a special someone? What’s your darkest secret?”_

_Yuuri got quite visibly flustered at Viktor’s questions and began blushing madly. Viktor found it adorable._

_“Well, erm I sometimes cook in my free time, the only special someone I really have is my dog, and I don’t really have any dark secrets,” Yuuri replied, still red in the face. He kept trying to sink lower in his seat to escape the situation but Viktor wasn’t letting up and he kept peppering Yuuri with questions._

_“Wait, what about you?” Yuuri asked, trying to divert the attention over to Viktor._

_Viktor sighed, “Well, probably the first thing you should know about me is that I don’t exactly have much time left in this life. I have a glioblastoma, a highly malignant brain tumor, and I likely only have a few months left.”_

_Yuuri looked shocked, “That was...not what I was expecting.”_

_“Heh, well it’s definitely a major aspect of my life currently and kind of one of my main motivators right now,” Viktor said._

_“Can’t you get treatment for it?” Yuuri asked._

_“It’s not curable. There are some treatments that can prolong my life, yes, but I turned them down. They’re expensive and they won’t do much anyways. They’ll just buy me a bit more time.” Viktor explained._

_“Isn’t it worth it? Spending your money to buy time? It’s not like the money will do you much good later,” Yuuri said._

_Viktor gave a good natured grin, “I have plenty of time. Enough to do what I need to.”_

_That same awkward silence filled the air once more, only this time Yuuri did not have his nose buried in his notes, trying to escape the uncomfortable situation. Instead, his eyes were locked onto Viktor’s, sparkling a bit as if he was searching for an answer._

_Viktor broke the silence, “Anyways, we really should get back to the-“_

_“Hang on,” Yuuri interrupted, “What do you mean enough time to do what you need to? What do you need to do?”_

_Viktor decided to test Yuuri, and see if he was ready for the truth, “You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”_

_Yuuri looked Viktor straight in the eyes with a determined look on his face, “Try me.”_

_“Alright then,” Viktor said, secretly crossing his fingers that this wouldn’t go badly, “The thing I’ve needed to do is find you.”_

_“Huh? Me? What?” Yuuri’s face turned red once more as he became rather flustered in his confusion._

_“See, I knew you wouldn’t believe me,” said Viktor._

_“I mean, it doesn’t make any sense. I-I don’t even really know you,” Yuuri sputtered._

_Viktor continued, “Ah, it’s always a burden for me to be the only one who remembers.”_

_“Remembers what? Please just explain this...what exactly do you mean?” Yuuri asked._

_“Do you really want to know the truth?” Viktor asked in return._

_“As long as you promise it’s the truth,” Yuuri said._

_Viktor nodded, “I swear.”_

_“Then I promise I will listen with an open mind,” Yuuri said._

_Viktor grinned. It was working; all that was left was to tell their story._

_And Viktor did, retelling the story of all of their previous lives. How they had met, how they had begun reincarnating, them meeting again as teens in Japan more than fifteen years later, and then their next lives as soldiers, travelers, and scientists. Yuuri seemed to cling to every word, but Viktor couldn’t tell if he believed it was all the truth yet. Everything was riding on this, for this life and Viktor desperately pleaded with whatever deity was watching over them for Yuuri to believe him._

_When he had finished, Yuuri just sat there quietly, no discernible emotions on his face. The silence was agonizing for Viktor._

_“Please,” Viktor said, “Say something, anything.”_

_“I-” started Yuuri, “I don’t know what to say.”_

_“Do you believe me?” asked Viktor._

_“At first I didn’t,” said Yuuri, “But you kept going and the story became more and more intricate and I don’t believe that anyone would care to put that much effort into a lie.”_

_Viktor breathed a sigh of relief, but then Yuuri continued._

_“But answer me one thing,” Yuuri said, “Why can’t I remember anything?”_

_“I’m not sure,” Viktor responded, “You’ve never been able to until-”_

_“Until what?” Yuuri asked_

_Viktor paused a moment, took a deep breath and continued, “Until we kiss for the first time in each life. Then you remember.”_

_Realization dawned on Yuuri’s face and his eyes slid to the floor as he retreated into his mind. Viktor gave him time to think, but he began growing more anxious by the minute. Did he mess up? Did he push Yuuri too fast?_

_Eventually, Yuuri seemed to come to a conclusion and he broke the silence, “Well then, here’s to blind faith.”_

_Before Viktor could even react, Yuuri threw himself onto Viktor, initiating the kiss for the first time ever. It caught Viktor by surprise, and he tried to pull away but Yuuri only held him closer. When Yuuri finally did release the kiss, he had a look of satisfaction on his face._

_“So you weren’t lying,” Yuuri said, laughing, “I do remember everything now.”_

_“Of course I wasn’t lying,” Viktor replied, smiling wider than he had in ages, “Why would I lie about a thing like that?”_

_Suddenly, Yuuri’s face turned solemn, “Well what now? You’re dying.”_

_A pang of sadness resonated in Viktor’s heart as the realization he had come this far only to have an expiration date for his joy. “Well first we finish the proposal we need to make for tomorrow.”_

_“Viktor,” Yuuri said, unamused, “You know what I mean.”_

_Viktor took Yuuri’s hands into his own, “All I want now is for you to stay close to me, until the end.”_

_Yuuri yanked his hands out of Viktor’s grip and wrapped his arms around Viktor tightly._

_“Of course.”_

* * *

 

_The next day, Viktor and Yuuri presented their idea for a solution to the Kuril Islands dispute, but it was received poorly and as a result, Viktor was promptly fired. It wasn’t really their fault though, they had tried to solve an age old conflict in a day, of course it had a high chance of failure. But before the ambassador could throw Viktor’s ass on a plane to Moscow, Viktor took everything he could from his apartment and ran. The minders searched for him, but Viktor holed up in Yuuri’s apartment until the buzz died down. He knew the minders wouldn’t report his absence to the local police because it would look bad for the Soviet Union if the world knew that one of their diplomats just disappeared on his second day in a foreign country, likely defecting from the USSR._

_The months passed in a blur. Yuuri quit his job a few days after Viktor so that they could spend more time together while they had the chance. They traveled the country together, however, they couldn’t leave Japan because Viktor didn’t have his passport; it was still in the possession of the Soviet officials. But Yuuri and Viktor didn’t mind. There were plenty of new memories to make together in Japan. They visited Yuuri’s home in Kyushu, and spent their evenings walking up and down the beach together, hand in hand. It was the happiest Viktor had ever been in any of their lives. Their days were filled with nothing but laughter, excitement, and most of all, love._

_Of course, eventually it had to come to an end. Viktor’s symptoms kept gradually getting worse, and he couldn’t go to a doctor without the risking the Soviets discovering his location. Only about four months after arriving in Japan, Viktor passed away peacefully in his sleep. Yuuri was devastated, but knew that they would get another chance next time._

_A couple of months after Viktor’s passing, Yuuri received a letter in the mail. He opened it to find that it was from Viktor, who had instructed the post office to deliver it on this date, which he figured he would be after his death. The letter read as follows:_

 

> _“Dear Yuuri,_
> 
> _I am sure by this point that I am likely gone, and have left you all alone. Please don’t grieve for me, because I’m not truly dead. As you’re reading this, I’m likely going through the process of being reborn, and I might even be peacefully floating in my new mother’s womb. I just wanted to tell you that these last couple of months have been the happiest of my life. We’ve never really gotten the chance to just run away together before, and boy was it fun. I am hoping that this is a sign that we’re on the right track, and that we’ll get out happy ending soon._
> 
> _If I could have chosen anyone to be stuck in a repetitive cycle of reincarnation with, I’m glad it was you. You make me happy. You fill me with a life and a love the likes of which I had never known before, and everyday we’re apart I feel empty._
> 
> _I’m positive we’ll meet again, somehow, sometime. Who knows, maybe by next time we’ll have flying cars!_
> 
> _Anyways, I just wanted to say one more thing._
> 
> _I love you, and no matter what it takes I will always find you._
> 
> _Viktor”_

_A single tear rolled down Yuuri’s cheek and landed on the paper, blurring some of the words._

_Only a few more years now, until they would see each other again. If Viktor could wait, so could Yuuri._

* * *

Tomorrow was Yuuri’s first competition, and even though it was just a regional event, Viktor was still a bit worried about him. He wasn’t sure how Yuuri would handle the pressure, but he hoped that Yuuri could pull through and set a new personal best. That would at least help out Yuuri’s self-esteem. Viktor turned over onto his back and stared at the ceiling, lost in thought. He never would have thought after his last life that this is where he would end up. He supposed it was his own fault though; he was the one who had decided to try figure skating this time. Viktor had also learned from some of Yuuri’s friends that one of the reasons Yuuri was so passionate about skating was partially due to his reverence of Viktor himself. He supposed it was just fate bringing them together once more. Viktor just hoped that this time, he would finally be able to pull it all off.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, my research has hit the point to where I’m reading articles on Aeroflot just to try and get the goddamn plane ride right. Fun fact, Aeroflot is 51% owned by the Russian government and is the official airline of Manchester United. Also one of the Kuril Islands is literally named “Yuri.” I was laughing so hard at that one, what a coincidence. Learn something new every day. Another fun fact is that my research for this chapter actually helped me with one of my government assignments. See kids, writing fanfiction isn't always a waste of time.
> 
> Only one flashback left now, the intermittently referenced first life. Then the last chapter will just be wrapping it all up with their current life. I’ve actually seen a couple of posts on Tumblr recommending this fic and I really appreciate it since this is the most work I have ever put into a piece of writing in my life so I’m glad to see that people like it enough to recommend it to others.


	6. 1873, The Meiji Restoration (PART 1)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, this took me a while to get out... sorry about that. It’s because I had finals, both mine and my brother’s birthdays, a ton of college application deadlines, a college interview, and a shitton of homework within the past couple of weeks so I have been super busy. Also, this chapter is now going to be in two parts...there’s a lot I need to cover in this one life since it’s their first one so I’m going to split the chapter and post the next part whenever I finish it. So yes, this fic will now be 8 chapters but the plan is still the same.  
> This fic is now 52 pages in Microsoft Word. I’ve never written anything this long in my life and it’s not even done yet.  
> Anyways, hope y’all enjoy.

The time had come for Yuuri’s first competition. Despite it being merely a regional championship with only four total competitors in the senior men’s division, Yuuri seemed to be somewhat nervous. But he really shouldn’t be, none of the other competitors were even close to his level, or his age for that matter. If anyone should be nervous, it should be Viktor, since it was his debut as a coach.

But during the warm up for the short program, Yuuri had seemed a bit out of sorts. The way his eyes were down cast and his body language made it seem as if he was fighting some inner demons, which was not good considering he was about to perform. It was a shame he was going first, Viktor didn’t have much time to help mentally prepare Yuuri for the program. Instead, he decided the best thing to do was surprise Yuuri enough to make him forget about his internal turmoil for at least long enough to skate the program.

He couldn’t kiss him, since the rush of memories would likely make him unable to even perform, so Viktor went for the next best thing.

Viktor made Yuuri turn around so that they would not be facing each other. It would cause his next move to be even more of a surprise and give him a good angle so that he could whisper in Yuuri’s ear and the cameras would see.

Yuuri was rather confused as he turned around. He was more so when Viktor grabbed him from behind and pulled him into a tight hug.

“Seduce me with all you have,” Viktor told him in a low voice in his ear. Hopefully that would be enough surprise and inspiration to shake Yuuri out of whatever funk he was in. Viktor would be lying if he didn’t also say that he kind of wanted to see Yuuri using him as inspiration for the Eros routine rather than a pork cutlet bowl.

It must have worked because the routine went well enough considering Yuuri’s mental state just a few minutes prior. Yuuri touched down on his quad toe and popped the triple in his combination which Viktor would definitely scold him for later, but it wasn’t bad for his first true competition and while fighting through his nerves.

Speaking of nerves, it would probably be a good idea for Yuuri to lower the jump difficulty in his free program later, especially considering he messed up two of the jumps in his short.  Of course, Yuuri wasn’t too keen on the idea, but Viktor was fairly confident that Yuuri would heed his advice.

That is, until one of the other skaters challenged Yuuri. He seemed to be a big fan of Yuuri, and was rather distraught that Yuuri had missed his performance. After he issued the challenge, Yuuri froze up and became more nervous than ever. Crap, this wasn’t good.

But that wasn’t the part that frustrated Viktor the most. It was the fact that Yuuri seemed unable to acknowledge any form of admiration directed towards him, as if he wasn’t worthy of it or something. This time, Yuuri’s lack of self-confidence wasn’t just hurting himself; it was hurting those who looked up to him as well. That was no good. Hadn’t Viktor said that he would make Yuuri more confident in himself? Yuuri would never learn to love himself if he couldn’t understand that others loved him too.

Viktor just hoped that tomorrow’s free program would be alright. He had confidence that Yuuri would pull through even if Yuuri didn’t have that confidence in himself.

 

* * *

 

_The year was 1873. Japan was a few years into the Meiji Restoration, which was a rapid period of Westernization in the country in order to catch up to the Western societies in technology and culture. As a result, many religious groups from the Europe and North America took this opportunity of a changing Japan to conduct mission trips into the country, in hopes of converting the native Japanese and instilling their beliefs into the country for years to come._

_Among these religious groups hoping to gain a foothold in Japan was the Russian Orthodox Church, who had sent missionaries to the country as early as 1861, even prior to the Meiji Restoration. The church’s influence in Japan was largely due to the efforts of Nikolai Kasatkin, better known at the time as the Archmandrite Nicholas. He had just moved the headquarters of the now Japanese Orthodox Church to Tokyo in 1870, where they numbered over 4,000 strong._

_However, the Russian Orthodox Church seeked to expand even further in Japan during the period of openness brought by the new Emperor Meiji and continued to send new missionaries to different areas of the country._

_One such missionary venture was aimed for the southern portion of the Japanese islands. Among the members of the team was a young priest named Viktor Nikiforov, who at the time was blissfully unaware of the life-changing experiences he would have upon arrival in Japan. So for now, the young priest was content in simply watching the passing of the waves, praying for the voyage’s continued protection, and eagerly anticipating their arrival in foreign lands._

_Viktor had never been outside of Russia before and he was quite nervous. He didn’t speak any Japanese and he couldn’t find any books on the language either, but he did make sure to learn English prior to the journey, as he had heard that the Americans had been influencing Japan through trade since the early 1850s. He figured that by this point there should be some Japanese people who spoke English. Even if he could find just one person that could speak English, that person could translate for him to the other Japanese._

_Not a single member of the missionary team spoke Japanese either, and few spoke any language other than Russian. They were content with the idea of waltzing right into the country with little regard for the native culture and attempting to push their own foreign culture onto the Japanese. That didn’t seem to bother the other members of the team, but it bothered Viktor. He wanted to make every effort possible to actually get to understand the Japanese and their culture before introducing them to another. It was only polite._

_He wondered what kind of barbaric religions they might find there. Do they worship multiple deities? Do they practice sacrifice? Would they even have a religion at all? Viktor hoped they at least didn’t practice human sacrifice, since as a foreigner he would be more likely to find himself the victim in that situation. But he knew most of his fears were unrealistic, since if the Japanese practiced anything too barbaric the Russian Orthodox Church wouldn’t have done so well in the other areas of Japan._

_A shout from the deck startled Viktor out of his thoughts. He tried to ignore it but the commotion was only growing, and the others inside the ship began running towards the outside. Viktor soon enough followed suit, excited but trying to refrain from running to maintain his sense of dignity. He soon made his way up to the deck of the ship and saw what the hubbub was all about._

_The subtle dark outlines on the horizon indicated that they were finally approaching the islands of Japan where their mission would begin. The ship would be landing in a dock in Hirado previously only reserved for the Dutch traders, before the Americans forced the opening of trade in the 1850s. From there, the ship and crew would be returning to Russia with new goods while the missionary team would stay and attempt to create a church and a congregation somewhere in the area._

_Viktor found himself suddenly shivering from head to toe. He didn’t know if it was from excitement, fear, or just the atmosphere but either way he was energized and ready to get started on their work. The journey had been rather boring so he was eager to begin their mission._

_A few hours later, the ship arrived at the port at Hirado. The missionary group bid farewell to the traders and began to head into the town. Viktor was surprised to see slight European influences in the atmosphere of the city, but then he remembered that the Dutch had been trading at this port since the 1600s. The rest of the country was unlikely to be as Western as this town._

_The missionary group managed to find a place that was willing to let them crash for the night. They were going to see about finding a site for building a church tomorrow. However, there was still some daylight left, so Viktor decided that he wanted to explore for a bit before retiring for the night. After all, he had been cooped up on that ship forever and he wanted to stretch his legs a bit._

_He slipped away from the rest of the missionaries and began to walk freely about the town. As he looked around, Viktor spied everything from simple buildings, marketplaces, children running around playing, and people going about their daily lives. On occasion, he could spy a brief flash of the ocean before it was concealed behind a building once more. However, everywhere Viktor turned there were people staring at him strangely. They were gawking at him and whispering to each other behind his back. At first Viktor didn’t mind, but as time progressed it began to make him more and more uncomfortable. He wasn’t used to being treated so coldly and like a stranger._

_Suddenly, Viktor’s foot tripped on a hole in the street and he fell onto his face. The people who had been watching him began laughing and pointing and saying things about him in Japanese. Viktor could feel his face begin to flush. How humiliating. He was supposed to be trying to get respect from these people, and he just made himself look like a fool._

_Regaining his composure, Viktor picked himself off of the ground and made a beeline out of the city. He didn’t care where he was going, as long as it would get him away from all of the people._

_Towards the outskirts of the town, Viktor found a well-worn path leading out into the woods. He figured that following a path was a better option than wandering aimlessly in the woods, especially this close to nightfall._

_The path led him through a twisty course around trees and creeks. There were birds chirping overhead and the scenery was highlighted by the light orange glow of the sun just beginning to set. It was peaceful, and Viktor could feel the heat from his embarrassment begin to fade._

_Then, Viktor came upon a red gate-like structure spanning the width of the path overhead. It had two red poles sticking up on either side of the road and above those there were two more red poles running horizontally, connecting them. The ends of the top horizontal bar were tapered upwards in a way Viktor had never really seen in European architecture._

_Ahead Viktor could also spot a building with a similar strange architectural style. The roof tapered upwards in a curling manner, and the building was brightly colored and rather aesthetically appealing. He decided it was rather curious looking and he wanted to go check it out. He had just started heading towards it when he noticed a small pool of water to the side of the trail with some sort of scooping device next to it. He found it somewhat peculiar. Were the scoops for drinking the water? He assumed it must be safe to drink if they left utensils for doing so around. Viktor was rather thirsty; the last time he had a drink of water had been when they were still aboard the ship._

_Viktor ladled some water into the dipper. He was about to bring it to his lips when he heard an angry voice shouting at him. He turned to see a young Japanese man. The man’s cheeks were slightly red with anger and if the look on his face could have been lethal, Viktor would be a dead man. The man forcefully grabbed the ladle out of Viktor’s hand, emptied the water back into the pool, and restored the ladle to its former position._

_“I’m sorry, did I do something wrong?” Viktor said in Russian before realizing his mistake and repeating the words in English. The angry man did not seem to recognize either language, and merely continued his tirade in rapid Japanese. He then grabbed Viktor roughly by the arm and began taking him down another path on the side to a small house._

_“I didn’t mean to do anything wrong I swear,” Viktor tried pleading but it was no use. The man had a death grip on Viktor’s arm and a steely look on his face as he led Viktor to the building. When they got there, the man quickly took off his shoes and gestured for Viktor to do the same. They then went through the entrance and found a middle aged man seated with his legs crossed and his eyes closed. It looked as if he was meditating. However, upon the noisy entrance of Viktor and his captor, his eyes snapped open. The man that had brought Viktor quickly bowed to the older man and gestured for Viktor to do the same. Viktor gave a small, respectful bow as the angry man began rapidly speaking to the older man. The seated man listened in earnest until the other man was finished, and then he turned his head to Viktor._

_“I am assuming you are foreigner yes?” the seated man asked Viktor in English._

_“Oh thank God, you speak English,” Viktor said relieved, “And yes, yes I am from Russia and I just got here today.”_

_“Then you would not have known. It is not your fault,” the man says. He says some words to the younger man and the other man begins to visibly relax a bit but still seems rather wary of Viktor. His face began to drain of its red hue._

_“You’ll have to forgive my assistant Yuuri here, it seems he over-reacted a bit,” the man continues. The younger man, whom the elder dubbed Yuuri bows to Viktor, seemingly asking for forgiveness._

_“It’s alright. It was partially my fault too,” Viktor returned the favor by bowing to Yuuri as well. The younger man seemed to relax a bit more with Viktor’s gesture._

_“We aren’t used to strangers all the way up here,” the elder man said, “I am assuming that you merely wanted to take a look around. I’m sure you must be rather curious as to what this place is.”_

_“Yes, if it isn’t too much trouble,” Viktor replied._

_“Oh, but where are my manners, I completely forgot to introduce myself,” the elder man continued, “My name is Ikeda Hiroshi and I am the_ _Gūji of this shrine.”_

_“Viktor Nikiforov,” Viktor responded in turn, “I’m a priest as well, though of a different religion.”_

_“Interesting,” the Gūji replied, “Well it certainly is curious that you would take an interest to learning about ours then.”_

_“I figured it was a good way to get to know the native culture here,” Viktor lied, not wanting to mention that he had wandered here by mistake._

_The Gūji beamed, “I would be honored to show you around then.”_

_He started to rise to his feet but Yuuri stopped him with a few mumbled words in Japanese to the elder man._

_“Ah Yuuri has brought up a good point. It is getting much too late to give the full tour now. Perhaps you can come back tomorrow?” the man says._

_“I should be able to,” Viktor says._

_“But before you leave today, Yuuri would like to show you how to properly enter the shrine to avoid another incident like this tomorrow,” the Gūji’s words seemed more like a command than a request, and Viktor did not want to push his luck._

_“Alright,” Viktor agreed._

_“Come,” Yuuri said in English surprising Viktor. He gestured towards the exit._

_“You can speak English? This whole time?” Viktor said, shocked._

_“He speaks very little English, merely a few words, but I have been attempting to teach the staff here since we have been seeing more foreigners in the ports in the past few years,” the Gūji said from behind them, “He should be able to instruct you adequately. Goodbye for now, I hope to see you tomorrow!” He then resumed his meditative position as Yuuri ushered Viktor out of the hut. They then got their shoes from where they had set them earlier and put the shoes back on._

_Yuuri was wordless as he and Viktor began back down the path they had so abruptly taken earlier. Viktor still couldn’t believe that this guy had at least known a bit of English this whole time. Twice now Viktor had made a fool of himself in front of the Japanese people. This acculturation stress he was going through was quite overwhelming, and it was only his first day in the country._

_The trip down the path was much longer now that they were walking at a more leisurely pace than their journey to the hut. Yuuri walked stoically ahead of Viktor, not ever even turning around to check and make sure Viktor was still following. He had a powerful stride, but there was a subtle hesitation in his steps, which made Viktor think that this Yuuri guy might not be as tough as he pretends to be._

_Eventually, they made their way back to the same pool from earlier, but to Viktor’s surprise, Yuuri continued further until they reached the red gate that Viktor had seen on his way in. Yuuri crossed through it and then motioned for Viktor to join him on the other side. When Viktor took his place by Yuuri’s side, Yuuri bowed and motioned for Viktor to do the same. Then, Yuuri stepped through the gate. Viktor assumed that he was supposed to bow at the gate before entering the temple._

_Yuuri then walked over to the water basin, grabbed two of the dippers, and handed one to Viktor._

_“Watch,” Yuuri said. Then, gripping the ladle in his right hand, he scooped up some water and poured it over his left hand. He then switched hands and did the same for his right hand. He then paused for a moment and looked at Viktor, seemingly anticipating Viktor’s response. Viktor carefully repeated Yuuri’s movements, starting with his right hand washing the left and then his left washing the right. Yuuri gave him a nod in validation that he had done it correctly. Yuuri then returned the dipper to his right hand and scooped up some more water. He cupped his left hand and poured the water into it. He then brought his hand to his lips and drank some of the water. But, he did not swallow it. Instead, he swished it around for a minute and then spat it back out into his left hand. He then dumped the remaining water from the ladle back into the basin by turning it vertically with both hands. Finally, Yuuri gently placed the dipper back where he had gotten it from and then backed away to watch Viktor._

_Hoping that he remembered everything properly, Viktor slowly moved through the motions. He scooped up some water but forgot that he wasn’t supposed to drink from the ladle so he began to bring it up to his lips. Yuuri came up and snatched the dipper from his hands, spilling most of the water. He looked frustrated and tired and almost ready to quit even trying, but the weary look in his eyes was quickly replaced by determination as he used Viktor’s ladle to repeat the motions again. On the second try, Viktor managed to successfully complete the motions and was rewarded with another nod and a smile from Yuuri. That was the first time Viktor had seen Yuuri smile, and he was a bit surprised of how it transformed the man’s face. Gone was the angry man from their initial encounter and the frustrated man from moments before; he was now replaced with someone more like a charming young boy._

_“Temizu,” Yuuri said suddenly, gesturing to the pool and the ladles. Viktor assumed that was either the name for the ritual or the name of the pool, but he assumed the former. Viktor nodded to affirm his understanding._

_“Thank you for your help,” Viktor said, even though he wasn’t sure how much of that Yuuri would understand._

_Yuuri turned to leave, but then paused and took a moment to wave at Viktor before leaving._

_Viktor returned the gesture, “I hope to see you tomorrow.”_

_Viktor then turned and headed down the path away from the shrine. The sunset was reaching its late stages now, and Viktor wasn’t sure how much longer he would have adequate light to see. He didn’t want to be caught in the middle of the woods at the dead of night. He hastened down the path as fast as he could without tripping over hidden dips and rocks in the road. The rest of the missionary team was probably rather worried about him. Viktor had left town without telling anyone where he was going._

_It was completely dark by the time Viktor reached the village. The streets were much more difficult to navigate without the daylight and he got lost a couple of times before finally finding his team. To his surprise, none of them seemed to have noticed that he had disappeared for a couple of hours. Most of them were already asleep, and those who were awake were chatting amiably and were completely oblivious to Viktor’s presence. Viktor found a spare space to settle down for the night and closed his eyes, as thoughts of the Japanese temple danced across his mind as he fell asleep._

_The next morning, Viktor found himself oddly eager to go back to the temple. However, it would be much harder for him to slip away today because their mission was officially starting and there was quite a bit of work to do. They needed to start preaching to the locals and attempt to create a congregation while a couple people looked to find a site to put a church building on._

_By noon Viktor and a few of his co-workers were standing in the center of the town square preaching about God and Russian Orthodoxy. No one was paying them much attention, and viewed them as a nuisance more than anything else. A couple people had looked slightly interested, but ended up walking away shaking their heads. The fact that very few people even understood their language didn’t help either. Viktor’s spirits had begun sink when out of the corner of his eye he saw the young Japanese priest he had met yesterday, Yuuri had been his name right? Yuuri noticed Viktor about the same time, and started walking slowly towards him, carrying a basket full of goods he had bought in the markets._

_Viktor was sure he looked like hell after standing outside in the sun all day and this was definitely not the impression he wanted to be making to Yuuri. Yuuri seemed to notice his haggard demeanor and handed Viktor an apple out of his basket. Viktor tried to protest, but the language barrier blocked him a bit and he was too tired to bother trying to overcome it so he accepted the apple with a bow, hoping that it properly conveyed his gratitude._

_“_ _Watashi wa, jinja de o aishi,” Yuuri said to Viktor with a slight wink. He then turned and walked away, his attention turning back to the products in the market. Viktor had no idea what he said, but he did know that he couldn’t wait to go by the shrine later when he got the chance._

_It wasn’t until a couple more hours later that Viktor was able to slip away and head for the shrine. He followed the same path he did yesterday until he once again came upon the red gate. Unlike the previous day, however, he bowed before entering as Yuuri had shown him yesterday and then walked over to the small pool of water. He repeated the actions with the dipper and pouring the water to the best of his memory. He was almost finished when he heard someone shouting behind him. It was Yuuri, and based on the look on his face, Viktor had done something wrong. Yuuri came over and grabbed the ladle out of Viktor’s hand and transferred it to the other. He then held onto Viktor’s wrist gently and guided him through the motion he had messed up. Viktor wasn’t sure if Japanese culture was different, but in Russia the way Yuuri was holding onto Viktor’s wrists would be considered taboo, especially since they were both men. Viktor could feel his face heating up just as Yuuri released Viktor’s wrist._

_Yuuri backed away, a pleased expression on his face. It seemed to Viktor that he must have performed the ritual accurately enough to pass his inspection. Yuuri then ushered him down the same path to the_ _Gūji’s hut, only much gentler than yesterday. Rather than dragging Viktor roughly, Yuuri instead was happily walking in almost a skipping manner while whistling. Any time that Viktor seemed to lack behind, Yuuri would turn and gesture at him to hurry up. Yuuri seemed rather eager to get there._

_Once they reached the end of the path, they both took off their shoes and set them on the outside of the hut before entering. The Gūji was seated in a very similar manner as the previous day; however, he seemed more prepared for the company. Viktor and Yuuri both bowed respectfully._

_“Ah Viktor, welcome back. Today we can finally give you the tour,” he said cheerfully as he rose from his sitting position._

_“You’ll have to forgive me though,” the priest continued, “I will not be able to give you the full tour as I have some other business to attend to, but Yuuri has volunteered to cover the parts that I will not be able to. I have already instructed him on what to say in your language so that you will understand.”_

_The Gūji headed for the door and Yuuri and Viktor followed suit behind him. They put their shoes on outside of the hut and walked down the path._

_The priest took them down the path and to the main shrine, which the Gūji said was called the haiden. It was a massive building with the curious upward curving roof that Viktor had noticed before. The inside of the building was simple, it featured a few small shrines with objects and room for people to worship and pray. The windows all had decorative shades that could be pulled down if ever needed. They also showed him the heiden, which was the place where people left offerings to the kami. There were strips of paper, silk, red cloth, and white cloth littered all over the place._

_“And that over there,” the priest said, gesturing to a building in the rear of the shrine, “is the honden where the kami is located. However, I must apologize as we cannot take you there since it is forbidden to the general public.”_

_“It’s alright, I understand,” Viktor told him._

_“And here is where I must leave you,” the Gūji continued, “However, Yuuri will take you to see the ema and then your tour will be complete.”_

_“Thank you so much,” Viktor said politely._

_The Gūji turned to walk off but paused for a moment, “And Viktor, feel free to come by anytime. I would be interested in learning more about your culture as well.”_

_“I would be honored,” said Viktor._

_“And just between you and me,” the priest smirked, “I think he would as well.” The Gūji tilted his head towards Yuuri. He left with a wink, leaving Viktor rather confused._

_Viktor turned around to face Yuuri whose face had turned rather pink. Viktor couldn’t tell if it was because of the temperature or if Yuuri had understood what the Gūji and was somehow embarrassed._

_“Follow me,” Yuuri squeaked in English, his tone informing Viktor that it was more likely to be the latter of his theories. Viktor felt that he should feel a bit perturbed, but instead he found it rather endearing. It was a rather sharp contrast from the previous day, and Viktor wondered what could have happened last night to change things. Perhaps yesterday had just been a bad day for Yuuri._

_Yuuri took him down a path until they came upon a wall that was covered with little wooden plaques with paintings and words on them hanging from string on some hooks. Some were very simple, with just a few words and sometimes a tiny picture with maybe three colors. Others had more elaborate paintings that were quite incredible. There were pictures of animals, scrolls, and buildings._

_“These are the ema,” Yuuri said rotely in English, as if he was merely reciting something he had memorized, “They are for people to buy and make wishes and requests of the kami. The profits of the sales go to the upkeep of the shrine.”_

_“Do these wishes ever come true?” Viktor asked._

_Yuuri didn’t seem to understand his question and just continued on his spiel, “The ema are all hand painted...”_

_“Have you ever made one?” Viktor asked excitedly, not paying much attention. He began running his hands through the hanging placards, looking at all of the little pictures._

_Yuuri reached forward and grabbed both of Viktor’s arms at the wrist, pulling him forcefully away from the wall. Yuuri then used his grip to turn Viktor so that they were face to face. Yuuri’s eyes drilled into Viktor’s with a swirl of emotions that Viktor could not interpret and he held onto Viktor’s wrists rather tightly. For some reason, Viktor could feel his face flushing, and he prayed that his cheeks were not turning pink._

_“Please don’t,” Yuuri said, holding Viktor’s arms for a beat too long. When he finally let go, Viktor found himself exhaling a breath he didn’t know he was holding. Yuuri walked a few paces away, leaving Viktor standing there, shocked._

_“That is end of tour,” Yuuri said._

_“Um well thank you,” Viktor said, a bit shakily._

_“Arigatou,” Yuuri replied._

_“What?” Viktor asked._

_“In Japan, thank you is arigatou,” replied Yuuri._

_“Well then, arigatou,” Viktor said with a slight bow._

_“Matane, Viktor-san,” Yuuri replied as he started to walk away. The sun was starting to set so Viktor figured it was due time for him to go as well. Besides, he needed some time to himself to think after everything that happened._

_As he set about the path through the woods to get back to the town, Viktor found his thoughts wandering to the young priest. He’d only known Yuuri for literally a couple of days, but something about him was oddly interesting. Yuuri was just rather surprising and mysterious in more ways than one, kind of like a puzzle._

_But that off-hand comment the Gūji had made about Yuuri wanting to see him was weighing on Viktor’s mind. Did Yuuri like him? Probably not, Yuuri probably just found him interesting since he was foreign._

_Viktor was thinking about this too hard. I mean, they had only known each other for like two days. He was likely looking too much into this. They both found each other interesting, in a purely platonic way._

_But Viktor couldn’t wait until he got to come back tomorrow. Maybe Yuuri could teach him how to speak Japanese and in return Viktor could teach him English and maybe even some Russian. He could also talk to the Gūji and learn about their native religion. Viktor could use that to help in their ministries to the native Japanese. It was perfect._

_Viktor half-skipped down the path back to the town, whistling as he went. When he returned to his missionary team, they asked him why he seemed so happy. Viktor didn’t answer, and instead merely told them he couldn’t wait for tomorrow._

_“Tomorrow,” he thought to himself as he settled down to sleep, “Tomorrow is going to be a great day.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> During my research for this chapter, I was reading the Wikipedia page for “Russians in Japan” and turns out it has a “Fictional people” section and it actually had Viktor and Yurio listed and I was laughing so hard when I saw that. God, this fandom is everywhere. Sorry that this chapter is now in two parts but I got to over 5,000 words and I wasn't even halfway through my plan for this chapter so I had to cut it into two. If any of my Japanese language and culture is wrong please feel free to let me know and I'll see what I can do to fix it. I'm only as accurate as what I can find on the Internet.
> 
> Translations (according to Google and a couple of other translators I tested each with, possibly not 100% accurate):  
> “Gūji” – a Shinto high priest, one who is in charge of a shrine  
> “Watashi wa, jinja de o aishi” – “I will see you at the shrine”  
> “Matane” – “See you later”


End file.
